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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29317914">Insolence</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherubilla/pseuds/cherubilla'>cherubilla</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Arguing, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian Character, Misunderstandings, Pre-Canon, Reader Insert, Smut, Soldiers, Violence, We love a tall babe tho, Well for most of this, Yelena is a bitch in the first half, wlw</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:35:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>23,672</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29317914</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherubilla/pseuds/cherubilla</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞"</p><p>As a member of a hidden servicewoman organisation, you are required to answer to any communications of uniting forces with those who follows similar principles. Naturally, when a letter reaches the hands of your head woman, with the name "Yeager" scribbled at the bottom of the paper, you think nothing more of it.</p><p>However, everything falls apart once you realise what exactly the strangers want you all to do. And matters don't loosen up when you get your undergarments in a knot because of a certain tall blonde, both figuratively...and literally.</p><p>𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘢𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Yelena (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>242</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A letter from Mr. Yeager</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Anything but calm.</p><p>The morning had only just started, and it looked as if a whole coop of chickens had been let loose at the first ray of sunshine that hit the building. It was absolute madness, and the tavern hadn't even opened its doors to the public yet.</p><p>"Bernie! Where the hell did you leave my stockings?"</p><p>"How many times do I have to tell you that's not my goddamn name, you incompetent ass?"</p><p>You watched as Bernadette turned around hastily from where she was standing, away from the window she had been scrubbing for the past ten minutes. Cleaning hadn't been done in a handful of days, and the last thing any of you wanted was to get hit around the head with a jug by the big boss when she found out.</p><p>"I really couldn't care less right now. We're supposed to open up in fifteen minutes and I'm wandering around almost butt naked over here!"</p><p>Yosefine was the one howling about her lack of clothes from the back of the tavern. Truth be told, you were anything but surprised that she had lost her undergarments yet again. She was known to sneak around with fellow customers after her shift, so it wasn't unusual to find a sock behind the bar counter, or even a jacket in the winery.</p><p>Ignoring the two bickering women, you made sure that everything you had been told to do had been successfully done, and ready to start the usual morning at the busy tavern. It had been a pretty tame week so far, but as the weekend was just a day away, you were all expecting a handful of new visitors.</p><p>The Resting Willow. Located in main plaza of the city, Lischke, your workplace was locally recognised by many, as it has stood in its place for several centuries by now. Nothing stood out excessively when it came to dishes and drinks; it was famous for its ambience, the people that visited and the celebrations that would be held there on special occasions, that could sometimes go on until the early mornings, bustling with life.</p><p>It was an establishment run by women, taking out the chef that would be changed every few months. However, they would usually just stick in the kitchen, so frequent visitors knew that they would always be welcomed by a warm smile of a woman who was ready to serve up a delicious treat.</p><p>"Shit, I cut myself again...Can someone get me a cloth before I bleed everywhere, please?"</p><p>Another thing that made the tavern unique were your attires. Underneath the usual dress and apron that would weight down on everyone's hips during the long hours of your shifts, each and every one of you would be equipped with a weapon of choice, tucked tightly against your legs by some useful straps.</p><p>None of you were regular women that one would find on the busy streets of Lischke. You were trained, highly prepared for even the most outrageous situations that could break out at any moment. After all, Marleyans roamed the streets at all times.</p><p>And their patrols could sometimes lead to heinous acts towards innocent passersby.</p><p>It was for that sole reason, the sheer mockery that the Marleyan invaders pushed upon the people of the city, that the syndicate you were all under had been founded those many years ago.</p><p>Away from the invasive eyes of your customers, each and every single one of you were part of the AGL, recognised by fellow consociates as an organisation of servicewomen who searched to put an end to the merciless acts of those who followed the commands of Marley's leaders.</p><p>The ideology you followed was popular amongst fellow compatriots; however, most were not willing to go against the stronger region that had occupied the city over four decades ago. It was as if their behaviour had simply been accepted, when in all reality they were surrounded by glares from dozens of cities like your own, seeking for vengeance.</p><p>"Hold on, I'll get you something as soon as I've checked the letter box. Try and keep the wound pressed whilst you wait!"</p><p>As the new voice appeared from one of the back doors of the tavern, you were glad to see at least one of your coworkers not stressing over several things at once. Viktoria was her name, and she was probably the most mindful woman amongst the morning shift workers, her kind voice never faltering when helping out others.</p><p>You joined her as she headed towards the large, front door, curious to see if perhaps anybody had been sent any more strangely concerning love letters by daring customers. Just the past week, one of the girls had been sent three letters from the same guy, pleading to meet up with her as he swore that she was his other half in life, his soulmate. Comical, really.</p><p>"Ah, Y/N, how are you this morning?"</p><p>"I'm quite alright, the usual Friday morning. And what about you, heard anything new from Theo? I was told he will be coming over later on to pay you a visit"</p><p>At the mention of said name, Viktoria couldn't help you give you a smile in response, followed by a nod. It was her special someone, after all. You only wanted what was best for her, so you tried to keep up to date with everything that happened between them.</p><p>"On the same note, you should start looking for someone yourself, you know?"</p><p>"I don't know...The men that come in here are always too loud, obnoxious and annoying. Or even worse-"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, too short. You have exquisite taste when it comes to a significant other, I've known that ever since I met you. But you have to loosen up a little or you'll end up on your-"</p><p>Viktoria paused mid-sentence, staring down at one of the letters she had just picked up. Wondering what she had seen to make her quiet down, you leaned over slightly to take a quick glimpse at the rectangular envelope.</p><p>"What's wrong?"</p><p>"It's for Mrs. Henzler"</p><p>Mrs. Henzler was the head woman of AGL, and she very rarely exited her office that was hidden away on the top floor of the tavern. Usually, letters that were addressed to her were delivered by a person, or at most, tucked under the back door of the tavern if the person wished to not be identified. It was strange that one had been addressed directly to the tavern.</p><p>"We should bring it up to her, perhaps it's something personal?"</p><p>"It's a possibility...I'll take it to her, could you sort out the rest of the letters for me in the meantime?"</p><p>"Sure, leave it to me"</p><p>With now only five minutes before opening time for the tavern, you were starting to wonder why Viktoria wasn't coming back down again from the office. You guessed it wasn't just some personal letter for your boss.</p><p>As everyone was ready, and dressed, for opening hour, all heads turned as rapid footsteps suddenly made their way down the staircase, and Viktoria's alarming voice was heard as she appeared from the door at the back of the tavern.</p><p>"Don't open the tavern today! We have to leave here as soon as we've collected everything!"</p><p>Her out of breathe pants put everyone into sudden shock, not knowing what was going on nor the reason for her panicking. Yosefine was the first one to speak up, asking what exactly was going on and if it was an emergency.</p><p>"We...We've been called by Mr. Yeager to attend a meeting regarding a possible attack"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Anti-Marleyan volunteers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first reaction out of the group of women had been to close and lock all the shutters after receiving the news. Others, including yourself, scattered around in a hurry to bring out all of the supplies that were assigned to be taken in the case of a long period of being away from the tavern, shoving them into bags and securing them.</p><p>It was all so sudden, and you wanted to know the details of what your fellow friend had been told when she was talking with the head woman. However, it seemed that Viktoria already had a few other girls gathering around her, trying to figure out why someone of such prestige had made contact with you.</p><p>"Mrs. Henzler will inform us of the details once we reach our destination with the carriages. Speaking of, they should be here soon...Excuse me-"</p><p>The mayhem from just half an hour earlier was no comparison to the rush that was now occurring in the bar, with almost three times more people, as the afternoon shift waitresses had been abruptly woken up and ordered to take action alongside the rest of you. You couldn't even recall the last time everyone had to take such a leave, as most meetings with affiliates would only require the assistance of a few members.</p><p>Horse drawn carriages were soon waiting outside, waiting for the wave of women equipped with bags and weaponry luggage to fill up the seats before setting out. Luckily, you had managed to grab hold of Viktoria amidst her panicking state, and you pulled her into a cabin with a few other girls.</p><p>"Where are we heading?"</p><p>The smaller woman let out a sigh of relief once she sat down, recovering her breath before turning towards one of the women sat in front of you, who had asked the question. It was true, all of you had hurried to make your leave, but none of you seemed to know where you had been called to. Mrs. Henzler was in the front carriage, alone, leaving all the rest of you with no direct answers from her.</p><p>"If I'm not mistaken, the city is Berxley. It's about an hour's journey from her, up north. The reason as to why our leave had to be so rapid is because Mr. Yeager will not be there for very long, and if we are not to arrive before midday, the meeting will be cancelled"</p><p>"Hold on, so how come we didn't just receive the message earlier? If we had been informed about it yesterday, we could have easily left before sunrise"</p><p>The same woman who had asked the first question, Eileen, was now leaning forwards in her seat, leaning on her hands. One of her eyebrows was slightly irked, a slight look of annoyance on her face once hearing of the irresponsibility of the one who had sent the letter.</p><p>"That I couldn't tell you, even Mrs. Henzler doesn't comprehend the tardiness of the message. I suppose there was a problem with the postal service; it arrived in the letter box, after all"</p><p>It was clear that none of you were going to get any more information, Viktoria seemed to know only the key points of the contents of the letter. For that reason, the journey seemed to drag much longer than any of you would have liked, each wondering what could be the motive to which you were all summoned.</p><p>The halt of the wheels and the huffs of the horses up front informed you that you had reached your destination, and in only mere seconds you could hear footsteps as everyone exited the carriages. Eileen opened the door in an instant, and peered her head out to see where exactly you had all ended up.</p><p>"Goodness gracious...what the hell is this place?"</p><p>The three of you that remained inside moved over towards the door to get a look at what had shocked the determined woman. You managed to squeeze your head just under her corset, and looked out towards the plaza that the carriages had all stopped in.</p><p>Though it was only nearing the 10th hour of the day, the scenery before you was bustling with people and colourful markets that had been neatly set up in perfect rows. It seemed normal, if one was to not notice the eerie silence that hung over the local market. The only sounds were faint shoe taps of those that walked nearby, not even sparing a glance towards the newcomers as they passed by with grim faces.</p><p>The colours that adorned the city were muted by the silence.</p><p>"Girls, come on. We do not have all day"</p><p>The rasp voice of the head woman made you all turn your heads (as much as Eileen's body allowed you to) and hurriedly exit the cabin, seeing as everyone else had already gathered around. Mrs. Henzler stood with her head high, the bonnet adorning her head turning as she made sure that everyone had successfully arrived.</p><p>Most considered her as a mother figure. She was a caring, yet stern woman in her middle age, and she considered each and every one of the members as her own disciples, trained by both those who she trusted in the most, and herself. It was a challenging position, to withhold such a significant organisation, but it was the duty she took upon when it was passed down to her from her own mother.</p><p>"Follow my step, and please, don't fall behind"</p><p>Everyone replied with soundless nods, trying not to be the ones to break the strange silence that surrounded you. The woman who led you all took a sharp turn at the building that the horses had been stationed in front of, walking down a darker street, devoid of any citizens. Perhaps all of them had already gathered in the market, leaving everywhere else take upon a ghost town trait.</p><p>You stood beside Viktoria as the group arrived at a what appeared to be a worn down old office building. The eldest woman approached the large, green door, taking a few seconds before knocking three times, the sound echoing against the neighbouring walls.</p><p>Not a minute passed before the old door was opened, revealing a tall man, dressed it what looked to be a soldier's uniform. You all held your breath as he came into sight, initial thoughts rushing to believe that perhaps this was just a setup to get rid of the organisation.</p><p>"Mrs. Henzler, we have been expecting you. The same goes for all of you ladies, I'm delighted to see you have arrived safe and well. Please, come in"</p><p>Huddled together like a herd of sheep, you all pooled into the warm building, contrasting from the chilly air that hung around the empty streets. Mrs. Henzler was still up front, but it seemed she was being greeted by yet another soldier, a welcoming smile on their face like the one who had initially let you all in.</p><p>"The meeting hall is just down the corridor, third door on the right"</p><p>As she approached the room's door, you were all given a signal to follow behind your head woman. She was assuring you all that everything looked to be alright, according to plan. And the content hum that she let out as she entered was the cherry on top to make you all scurry along behind her.</p><p>"Mr. Yeager, I see that you have picked quite the location to welcome my women and I"</p><p>The room was almost unreal, when comparing to the outside of the same building. Though the large windows had been closed away by curtains, stopping any natural light from entering, the candles set on the vast table that stretched across the room gave the atmosphere a warm ambience. The walls seemed to be intact, white and adorned with pillars and paintings, hung beside a few lanterns that flickered with the flames inside them.</p><p>"I'm glad to hear that you appreciate our forgotten building, it's the least I could do upon your arrival"</p><p>Directly in front of the door stood the man who you guessed was Mr. Yeager: tall, blonde and with hopeful eyes that looked over to Mrs. Henzler. He was behind a seat that was tucked under the table, awaiting the arrival of the vast group of women, which he slowly pulled back once he answered the woman's comment.</p><p>"Please, do take a seat. If I'm not mistaken, there should be enough for all of you. I'd like to start discussing the situation at hand as soon as possible, as I must take my leave once we come to an agreement"</p><p>The man took his own seat, followed by the others that had been standing beside him in silence. There weren't many of them, you supposed the others were scattered around the building, but they were quite the intriguing individuals, none the less. On one side of the blonde man sat another, his dark skin distinguishing him from the others, with an intent gaze as he watched you all sit down.</p><p>Beside him sat a man of dark, almost black hair, pull up in what looked to be a ponytail. His eyes were fixed on a few papers that were placed before him, on the table, and it didn't seem like he was going to look up any time soon.</p><p>Lastly, a woman sat on Mr. Yeager's other side. Her glare was unmistakable, she was scrutinising every little thing her eyes laid upon, as if looking for any possible suspicious movements of your group. Short, blonde hair framed her soft features, yet her almost menacing aura made you look away, worrying that she might catch you staring for a little too long.</p><p>You thought that as soon as the meeting commenced, she would simply become a background individual, possibly not even making any comments nor arguments, letting the blonde man speak instead. But, how naïve had you been. How very naïve.</p><p>The still nameless woman was anything but quiet during the discussions, held primarily between your head woman and Mr. Yeager.</p><p>Other women made passing questions, and the blonde was quick to give out a straight answer, as though she had had the conversation planned out right from the beginning. Every word she spoke was pin pointed, it was almost admirable.</p><p>During the hour that the meeting lasted, you remained silent. The plans were perfectly placed out and explained in detail: Yeager's group of volunteers, also known as the Anti-Marleyans, were preparing an attack on Penzance, a city that counted with the presence of a large portion of the Marleyan army, with a base built on the nearby outskirts.</p><p>The main goal was to wipe out as many soldiers as possible with as little casualties. By common knowledge, the enemy wouldn't be equipped with the Warrior Titans, and therefore, be at a larger disadvantage than if they decided to directly attack Liberio. The current objective was to decrease the number of fighters, to ease the future invasion upon the city where the military stood it's firmest grounds.</p><p>The AGL was needed as extra support, and would pose as the perfect infiltrators, allowing the volunteers to attack from a closer range.</p><p>"So what you are implying is that my women will distract the guards and soldiers, if I am not misunderstood"</p><p>Mr. Yeager gave out a meek sigh, realising what he had just planned out before her. He most likely made you all sound like objects, he thought, and that was far from his intentions.</p><p>"Precisely, but your skills will also fall into action once the attack has commenced. One will send a signal, and then it is simply survival of the fittest"</p><p>Impressed and rather interested in the plan, Mrs. Henzler took a few silent seconds, thinking over the agreement to such a seemingly successful plan. It did, after all, follow the principles she believed in.</p><p>"I see, then...Mr. Yeager, you will be glad to know that I fully accept your petition of alliance, and I assure you, my disciples shall not disappoint you"</p><p>And with that, the accordance was sealed. For the following two months, you would all be staying alongside the volunteers, before the attack is due to take place.</p><p>Perhaps it was best if you all tried to get along with each other.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Yelena. And you are?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hushed comments were passed around as soon as the meeting was over, accompanied by quick glances made towards the guards who remained by the blonde man's side.</p><p>You now knew his name was Zeke, and was currently the head of the vast group of volunteers that were currently occupying the worn down building. He was bidding his farewells to Mrs. Henzler, so you weren't able to get a fixed look on him before he exited the room.</p><p>His departure seemed to have been notified to others outside, as a slender, younger looking boy appeared at the door, clearing his throat quietly before speaking up.</p><p>"We are waiting for you down in the courtyard, where we wish to get familiarised with all of you. Please do come down whenever you are ready"</p><p>It was clear that he was nervous, speaking in front of a group of complete strangers. The small coos from some of your comrades were far from discrete, and you wondered which of them would make the first move to follow the younger boy out.</p><p>You all took your leave simultaneously, just as you had all entered the room just instances ago, followed by the three volunteers who had remained dead silent since Zeke had departed. One thing you had realised about them was the fact that the tallest among them was the woman, which took you by surprise. Though you didn't pass her by closely, her towering, slim figure was hard to miss when stood beside the other two men.</p><p>Even with heels on, the tallest woman in your group was still a half a head shorter than her.</p><p>At last, you all made it outside, where the other volunteers had all gathered. It wasn't long before conversations sparked between the strangers, eager to know about each other as they had never encountered before. Some were more timid than others, but knowing that you would all be working together for the next few weeks was a perfect push to get even the shyest to speak up.</p><p>Beside you stood Viktoria, whom you had realised had her eyes set on the dark toned man ever since the meeting, occasionally turning away to avoid coming off as suspicious.</p><p>"Hey, don't be forgetting about Theo, now"</p><p>You leaned down slightly, nearing her ear as you quietly spoke out the words to your friend, causing her to stiffen up slightly. She whipped her head around towards you, almost looking offended by what you had just said.</p><p>"N-No! That's not what's going on here, I swear!"</p><p>"Are you sure about that?"</p><p>Turning back to her initial stance, she looked over once again to the man, who was now chatting with some unfamiliar men, a smile on his face as he did. You had to admit, he wasn't bad looking. Not at all. But perhaps not fully your type.</p><p>"I just...He's nice to look at"</p><p>"That's a mental note I'll be sure to deliver once we get back"</p><p>You knew well that her intentions were anything but harmful towards her partner. It was completely okay to admire someone's appearance from time to time. A meaningless crush, that was all it was.</p><p>"Come on, we should go and talk to them. We're stood her looking a little lonely, don't you think?"</p><p>Without a second of hesitation, Viktoria nodded at you, following your step as you neared the group of men. Who knows, maybe one of them would become your future partner? Doubtful, but still possible, you thought.</p><p>"Good day. If I'm not mistaken, you were in the meeting just now, correct?"</p><p>After all these years, you were never able to fully shake off the change in tone whenever you spoke to a stranger, and worst yet, a man. It was a habit you had picked up when you started working at the tavern. It was a way to avoid being oneself when faced with drunk customers, so as to not be tempted to start a fight with them.</p><p>"Yes, indeed, I was. I'm surprised any of you noticed us: everyone's eyes seemed to be focused on Yeager, though it was to be expected"</p><p>Having started the conversation, Viktoria saw it was her turn to speak, and jumped straight into introductions with the men. The one who had caught her sight was names Onyankopon, and the  men who had been talking with him were Gustav and Klemens.</p><p>"Are you all from around this region?"</p><p>"Some, but most of us are from several different cities who have unfortunately fallen under the Marleyans. It is something we all have in common, that which brought us together: we all seek to turn the tables on those who have put our origins to shame. I believe you ladies follow a similar principle"</p><p>Though the woman beside you was visibly taking a liking towards the man, you couldn't help but ignore the growing sense in your stomach. You hadn't eaten all morning, and the fact that creeping on to you. Of course, food had been brought along with you, however, it was in the bags you had all left on your way out to the courtyard.</p><p>You were going to have to retrieve a snack by yourself.</p><p>"Hey, Viktoria, I'll be right back, I'm going to grab a bite from the stash we brought with us. Would you like something?"</p><p>"Oh, uh...No, it's okay, I'll eat later on. You sure you're okay with getting it by yourself?"</p><p>It was the empathy the smaller woman held for others even when it meant a loss for herself that made you realise, each time, how lucky you had been to meet such a person. You waved off her question, knowing full well she was invested in the conversation with the others, and head off into the building.</p><p>Truthfully, it would only take a quick question towards one of the guards you had passed by earlier to find your way back to the storage room, so you weren't worried about getting lost. The empty hallways you were welcomed back into the building by erased that option, but you knew you could orientate yourself well enough to get by.</p><p>As your shoes clicked against the wooden floor, your eyes scanned for any familiar doors or windows, trying to recall the direction the group had come from. It wasn't as easy as you had expected, though, as all the walls seemed to look exactly the same.</p><p>Old and withered, you started to wonder how the building held itself up in the first place. You made your way around a corner, and your ears quickly picked up the sound of a door opening down the deserted hallway. Someone was moving around, perhaps you could ask for directions from them.</p><p>You slowed down your pace as you watched the person come out from beyond the doorway, or rather, leaned down to exit the room. Only slightly, but the slim figure had to make an effort to not smack their head against the doorframe which, judging by the state, would most likely get damaged by the slightest hit.</p><p>It was then that you recognised the person. It was her; the blonde, concerningly tall, woman from before.</p><p>You yourself didn't go unnoticed for very long, as the short haired female had turned to commence her step down the hall you had just entered, towards you. Her dark eyes seemed to narrow ever so slightly upon recognising you, was your first guess for the change in her gaze.</p><p>"Are you by any chance lost, little lady?"</p><p>Christ, her voice still left you feeling absolutely helpless, despite having heard her speak just under a mere hour ago. It was low, but had the slightest hint of femininity in it. Enough to remind you that you weren't dealing with any sort of male specimen. One might easily mistake her for being a man, though.</p><p>Her demeanour rather intimidated you, though, and it was awfully off-putting. Especially after the nickname she had just given you.</p><p>"I was looking for the storage room. Do you happen to know which way it is from here?"</p><p>Stand your ground, you told yourself. It was rather difficult to do so, though, whilst you were being slowly approached by the unnamed woman, her height registering in your head as you realised just how much she towered over you. Your heels meant absolutely nothing when stood in front of her.</p><p>"And why would you be heading to the storage room?"</p><p>Rather nosey of her.</p><p>"I'm going to get some of the food we brought along with us, if that's not a problem"</p><p>"You would think that such uppity and fancy women such as yourselves would be brought food by others; but alas, it seems to not be the case. How amusing"</p><p>Wait. What was up with the sudden attitude? As far as you were concerned, you hadn't said anything in a rude or unlikeable tone, and yet this woman, whom you had never held a conversation with before, was calling you uppity?</p><p>"I'm sorry, I'm afraid you have quite the wrong perception of us if you really believe we depend on others to get ourselves food which is simply in another room, nearby"</p><p>"Not very nearby if you ended up on the complete opposite side of the building, now is it?"</p><p>What the hell was her problem?</p><p>You were starting to lose your temper. Stomach starting to grumble in equal annoyance, you just wanted to be told where to go and get your food. Was it really necessary to cause a scene with someone you didn't even know? Perhaps it was, to her at least.</p><p>"Listen, I'm trying to be nice here, can you please just tell me where I need to go to get to the storage room?"</p><p>Dropping the modest act, you let out a sigh as you spoke up to her, hoping that somebody would just walk by and help you out instead.</p><p>"Back down the hall you just came from, take the second corridor to the right and up the stairs"</p><p>See, was it that hard?</p><p>"Thank you"</p><p>"Wait a second"</p><p>Had it not been for the fact that you were too kind for your own good, and the sudden daunting change in the woman's tone, you would have turned on your heel and left the scene. Surely whatever she wanted to say could be saved for later.</p><p>"Mhm?"</p><p>"Your corset is untied. You look ridiculous, do me a favour and fix it up before you go out looking like that"</p><p>The slight hint of amusement in her voice made you want to throw the dammed clothing piece right at her compelling face. Taking in a deep breathe, you snaked your hands around to the front piece of your attire, tightening the lace ever so slightly and securing it with a knot.</p><p>Feeling her eyes bore into you as you fumbled around with your fingers, you decided to break the uncomfortable silence. Anything would do.</p><p>"Might I ask what your name is?"</p><p>"Yelena. And you are?"</p><p>"Y/N. I shall be taking my leave now if you have nothing else to say"</p><p>Instead of giving an answer, the blonde woman tilted her head slightly forward before you turned to head back towards where you had first came in. Though the encounter had been anything but friendly, you were glad to know you weren't wandering around with a loose corset.</p><p>Other than that, you weren't sure what to think of the one you had just met. Yelena.</p><p>It was clear that she wasn't interested in bonding with anyone, judging by the fact she didn't join her comrades out in the courtyard, and to be honest, you weren't too keen on allowing someone such as herself into your already complicated life.</p><p>You dismissed the whole conversation, and continued your walk to finally fill up your empty stomach. There were other things to worry about right now, and an insolent woman such as Yelena was not about to become another one.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Combats and Confrontations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It came as no surprise that when you returned to join your friend outside, you were questioned about your tardiness. You simply blamed it on getting lost, which wasn't a complete lie. Enough to not have to recall the towering woman once more.</p><p>The remaining hours of the afternoon passed by swiftly, everyone gathering with their respective groups to have lunch and then go about their own duties. You all had to settle down in the bedrooms that had been cleared out for your stay, dragging the luggage up to the third flood, where they were located.</p><p>Out of the corner of your eye you could see Yosefine walk up to you, with a little glee in her step as she approached you, smile plastered on her face. Something was up, you could tell. Perhaps she had broken something and was looking for advise on getting away with it; nobody ever knew what the woman was up to.</p><p>"Y/N, do you have a moment?"</p><p>Folding up a skirt from the pile you were sorting out, you nodded up at her as you stood up from your crouching position. Other girls were gathered around in the room, taking up their own tasks whilst chit chatting here and there with each other.</p><p>"Now I know this is going to sound obscure, but bare with me here. I met this guy earlier and wow...you have got to see him"</p><p>You gave her a knowing look: there she was again with her unsurprising ministrations. How had you not considered the topic of a man being the reason for her approach? Nevertheless, you waited for her to continue her explanation, bringing your hands together in front of you.</p><p>"Getting straight to the point, we're supposed to meet up tomorrow evening, but you know how Mrs. Henzler is...I only just get away with it back at the tavern, I'm sure she'll kill me if she sees me sneaking around at night in this old, shabby house"</p><p>"Wait, let me guess, you need me to cover for you"</p><p>It wasn't exactly difficult to get at what she was saying. Almost every woman in the group had given a hand to Yosefine at least once. You were all like a big family, and favours were constantly being passed around. You supposed it was your turn to help out this time.</p><p>"Precisely. Gosh, Y/N, you're always too good at this"</p><p>Giving her an amused scoff, you listened as she explained the plan you were to follow the next day. Put simply, you were going to accompany her to one of the rooms on the second floor, and then act as if you were going to do the laundry, at midnight.</p><p>It wouldn't be the first time that this strategy would be used: Mrs. Henzler was well aware that the laundry was constantly being forgotten, so as long as it was getting done, she wouldn't pay any notice on the hour of the day.</p><p>Afterwards, you would return to your room, as Yosefine would leave alongside the group of men the following morning, infiltrating between them. Truly a mater plan.</p><p>"Great! Remind me that I owe you one after that, okay?"</p><p>You didn't mind taking up the favour, though you spent the evening before dinner roaming the halls with some other girls, to try and get a bit more familiarised with the surroundings, so as to not repeat what had happened just earlier that day.</p><p>The next day was the first time you were all called to the courtyard to spend a few hours in what they called "training". It consisted in small combats between fellow group members, and then against the others, so as to see what skills you all had, and how they were going to be used in for the attack. The volunteers needed to know who they were working with.</p><p>Knives and fists were thrown around at such a speed that, had anyone passed by the scene, they would consider it a near war-like scenario. It spiralled into a pit of combat when the women were paired up with members of the other group, and it's an understatement to say that they went easy on each other.</p><p>The result was a sweating mess of people, all breaking out into smiles upon realising the chaos that had just gone underway. You were quick to give your opponent, a slim man who seemed not much older than yourself, a shake on one of his arms as he kneeled down in exhaustion. Thoroughly impressed by the volunteers, you all bid brief farewells to the men, though you were all to join each other at lunch just an hour later.</p><p>Your name was timidly called out by a voice coming from behind, and you recognised it in an instance. Wiping her forehead in a hurry, Viktoria caught up to you whilst she greeted some of the other girls on her way.</p><p>"I couldn't see you from where I was, how did it go?"</p><p>"This guy was almost twice the size of me, but I managed to push him down a few times. They have such a good eye when it comes to dodging weapons, though; I was worried until I realised that we won't actually be going against them"</p><p>You chuckled at your friends words, agreeing with her. Though you hadn't expected the volunteers to be completely useless, the skills they had just shown were quite outstanding. Both of the groups wouldn't pose a problem when the time came to undergoing the attack, that was for sure.</p><p>The time for lunch came by so sudden that you had barely any time to change your attire, opting to throwing on the brown, wool cloak that each AGL member obtained when they joined, a small flower embroidered on the front, right side of the fabric. It was the only way you could think of covering your clean undershirt, not having time to tie up a corset over it.</p><p>The dining hall had the same interior design as the meeting room from the first day, though this time the windows allowed the sun rays to fall upon the wooden tables, set out in two long rows. You couldn't help but wonder who had remodelled the inside of the building in such a way, leaving the exterior in the state it was in.</p><p>Some of the women mixed with the volunteers they had met that same morning, wanting to get to know them better. You picked a seat beside Bernadette, who was trying to catch the attention of someone on the other table.</p><p>The food was simple, but enough to get you all through the day. Bread, soup and fruit.</p><p>From across the room, you had caught a glimpse of a blonde head, just above all the rest. Yelena was sat on the far left side of the other table, alongside Onyankopon. That of course meant you weren't the only one looking over in that direction.</p><p>"Could you make it just a little less obvious that you've got a thing for that guy?"</p><p>Bernadette stabbed her fork into the table, right in front of Viktoria's plate, startling her. Face turning into a hue of red, she reverted her gaze to the unfinished sound she had left. She didn't dare say a word, and you had to giggle at your friend's flustered state.</p><p>"Leave the poor girl alone, she's just admiring a good looking guy, that's all"</p><p>"I suppose it's not much of a problem if it's mutual"</p><p>At her words, Viktoria's head shot back up again, looking straight at the woman. Her eyes were almost as round as the ceramic plates set out on the table.</p><p>"Oh, please. Ivonne was paired up with him this morning, and I happened to be near them. Bless her, she had to go easy on him each time he got distracted"</p><p>"You're joking!"</p><p>The girls that were nearby snickered at the girl's reaction, you yourself having to hide your smile behind your hand out of sympathy towards your friend. A few heads turned from the other table, namely a few guys, who found the outburst rather amusing.</p><p>You wanted to check if the one they were talking about was looking over, but your head was quickly pushed down by a hand from behind, taking you by surprise.</p><p>"So there's a few of us who have had our attentions caught then, huh?"</p><p>It was Yosefine, who was now leaning down towards Viktoria with a smile plastered on her face as she spoke the words to her in a lower tone, so as to not be heard by the other table. As a response, the dark haired woman closed her eyes and let out a sigh of defeat.</p><p>The rest of lunchtime was filled with comments regarding other men that had caught the girls' attention, giggling to each other and hoping you weren't all being heard by others. Everyone poured out from the room after some time, clearing out plates and utensils before leaving to wander around the building as there were no plans for that afternoon.</p><p>Mrs. Henzler was to talk with you all at sunset, but other than that, it was free time for you all. Most of you gathered in one of the rooms you had been gives, holding a sort of meeting, the main topic being the combats from that morning.</p><p>"The red head, Nils...he practically snapped my back at one point"</p><p>"I'm sure you wouldn't mind if he were to blow out your back some other time, huh?"</p><p>Bursting out in laughs, you all pause in an instance when there was a knock at the door, halting the fun for a second. Looking at each other, nobody had any clue of who it had been. Klara, the one sat closest to the door, was the one to open it, revealing two men.</p><p>One of which had a head full of red hair.</p><p>"Is Alina here- Oh, yes she is"</p><p>You all had to stifle a laugh as you all looked over to the one who had just made a comment about him. It seemed that the stars had been aligned for your fellow comrade, as she left with him to go and have a "chat".</p><p>After attending the head woman's office, you were all dismissed, and it was only a matter of time hours now before you had to take on Yosefine's plan. Once the clock struck midnight, you both were quick to exit the shared bedroom, gowns on and a laundry bag by your side. You both held candles, as most of the lanterns had now been put out for the day.</p><p>"Fifi, you better not get caught tomorrow morning after all of this, I'm absolutely freezing over here"</p><p>"Shh, it'll all be fine, I promise. I'm sure the laundry sinks are near a fireplace, or something, so don't worry about that"</p><p>Leaving her at a door on the second floor, you started your journey towards the small laundry room. You had visited it the day before, so you were sure where it was, but it still wasn't something you were eager to do.</p><p>You hadn't passed by any guards on your way there, so your whole body froze as you heard footsteps from behind you, down the dark hallway. You really weren't up for having a chat at such an hour, or even be questioned about your doings, so you continued your step until you reached your destination.</p><p>Voices could be heard from below, you guessed from the guards that had greeted you on the first day. For now, the second floor seemed to be pretty empty, so you were relieved as you placed down the candle on the small table beside the bowls of water in the laundry room, knowing you wouldn't be interrupted.</p><p>The water was surprisingly warm, possibly because the main source of heat was located just below the flooring. It was a pleasant feeling, as you soaked the skirts and undershirts of your comrades in the soapy water. You struggled to keep your eyes open at the soothing feeling, hoping to be finished as soon as possible so you could get into bed.</p><p>Wringing out the first lot of clothes, you hung the onto the string that was hung up beside the large window of the room. You could see the starry night sky from where you were standing, and you wondered if the town was still as quiet as it had been on the day of your arrival. Perhaps you'd go out and see one day.</p><p>Your thoughts were quickly discarded as you heard the door creak open from behind you, causing you to whip around in an instant. Surely nobody else was doing laundry at such an hour?</p><p>However, your eyes narrowed upon recognising the intruder.</p><p>"Was there not another time to do your laundry other than at this hour of the night?"</p><p>Silhouette being faintly lit up by the flame of your candle, Yelena stood by the door as she looked towards you, an unamused glare on her face as she spoke out the words to you.</p><p>"We were busy this afternoon, and some of us need the clean clothing for tomorrow's training"</p><p>Your answer was dry, and straight to the point. Out of everyone you had to bump into tonight, that woman was not one that you were pleased in seeing. Silence fell between the two of you after your answer, so you turned back around to the clothes, hoping she would simply take her leave.</p><p>"I saw you today, this morning actually. An interesting combat against a fellow friend of mine"</p><p>"That's nice to hear"</p><p>"Disappointing, though. I thought you would be better at wielding the knife, judging by some of your comrades' skills. I expect you'll be assigned to the sidelines if you don't show any improvement"</p><p>"Excuse me?"</p><p>Clipping up the last sleeve of the shirt you were tending, you turned your head to look at her. It was beyond your knowledge the reasoning for the woman's slander towards you, especially since she had probably only seen certain instances of your fighting.</p><p>"Do you think that the attack will be all roses and petals when the time comes? If you show up with the same competence that you demonstrated today, you'll be annihilated before you even get the chance to whip out the knife from under your frilly skirt"</p><p>You were left without words. You knew you weren't unskilled, and you had been involved with fights before, so why was this person who had never even seen your full potential humiliating you on your second day there?</p><p>"I advise you drop the darling act unless you want to get dismissed by next week"</p><p>Eyes threatening to spill tears from the anger you were feeling at her words, you approached her tall figure, having to angle up your head.</p><p>"What the fuck is your problem with me?"</p><p>Yelena turned her head down at you, crossing over her arms by her chest. There wasn't even the slightest display of sympathy in the eyes that stared down at you, and frankly, you felt pressured beneath them.</p><p>"I'm simply telling you the truth. If you want to believe that the world is full of meadows and rainbows, then so be it. However, people like you have no place in organisations such as the one you are part of. You need to realise that people are going to die out there, and possibly even yourself, and you can't just obviate that fact"</p><p>"When did I say that? I'm familiar with death enough to understand what we are getting into here, and I've known the risks from the minute I joined the others"</p><p>"Demonstrate it then, because as of n-"</p><p>"What do you want me to do? Declare that I'm willing to risk my life for my comrades every day? Shout out to everyone how tragic all the deaths that I've witnessed in these years were? Count all the injuries, the losses and destructions that come as consequences of a war?"</p><p>Though your voice wasn't entirely raised, your words were enough to make Yelena remain silent. You were tired, all you wanted to do was return to your room and be ready for the next day, and yet here you were, giving explanations to someone who didn't even deserve them.</p><p>"I am well aware of my job, and I'm sorry if you don't consider the years I've been put under training enough to be useful for the rest of you. If I die on the frontlines in two months time, then so be it, but I am not going to leave everyone behind just because you think of me as inept"</p><p>You knew by now that your face had definitely turned red, emotions balling up into your mind as you told her everything that you thought of in that moment.</p><p>"If I'm that useless, just leave me alone. Don't bother yourself. And by your belief, I'll be gotten rid of before long, anyway"</p><p>The dark stare you were receiving from her was enough to assure you that you had pulled on some strings. She was angry, but you couldn't care less. There were plenty of other volunteers you could talk to, so losing one was not going to pose a problem.</p><p>However, as a response from your sense of intimidation earlier, you backed away slightly as she leaned down towards you, hands now in her pockets. Your hand quickly went down to your leg, preparing in case you needed to defend yourself with the knife that was pressed against your leg.</p><p>"Scared now, are we? It didn't seem like you were just a second ago, practically spitting in my face for no reason whatsoever"</p><p>Remaining completely still, you waited for her to continue.</p><p>"So you <em>do</em> know what you're dealing with here. Wonderful. But I'm going to need you to take that attitude and use it on the fucking battlefield, or <em>I'll</em> be the one to take you out of this miserable world before you can even mutter out an apology"</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The feeling's mutual</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Her face was close to yours, so much so you could almost feel her breath on your stiff, unmoving form. It was no longer caused by fright: your head was spinning with thoughts, trying desperately not to launch your hand towards the woman in front of you.</p>
<p>Luckily, Yelena was quick to straighten up her back, swiftly returning to her previous stand. The two of you had nothing else to say to each other, and the conversation was concluded when she turned on her heels and walked out from the room.</p>
<p>Her eyes lingered on you for longer than you had wanted, before she turned her back to you and left you in peace.</p>
<p>That evening, once you returned to the comfort of your bed, there were series of contemplations from your behalf that left you turning in the white sheets for hours on end. The anger hadn't died down, even hours after meeting the blonde woman, and all you wanted to do was forget it had even happened. And yet there you were, unable to fade into a deep sleep.</p>
<p>This took a toll on you, the appearance of slight bags under your eyes as a result of your restless night. You were all set to take a group jog around the building, as the multiple staircases worked well for maintaining your stamina. Mrs. Henzler was quite fond of trainings like that, however, you had been anything but prepared for it that day.</p>
<p>"Hey, Y/N, you okay?"</p>
<p>A small voice spoke from beside you, and you were only able to give a slight nod as a response. In all honestly, you felt as if you were going to collapse in any moment, your eyes struggling to keep open as your legs forced you to keep on moving forward.</p>
<p>Luckily, there were roughly two hours between training and lunch, so you were quick to hit the sheets and try to recover some of the sleep you had lost. What was going on with you?</p>
<p>"I must say, I'm impressed you weren't caught by anyone"</p>
<p>Gathered around the same table as the day before, you were all having lunch together and, of course, Yosefine's night away from the bedrooms was the main topic. She had managed to get back just in time for training, but it was a miracle she hadn't been spotted by any of the early morning guards.</p>
<p>"I was pretty lucky. I suppose it came with the...splendid night I spent out"</p>
<p>You tried your best to give a smile whenever they broke out into laughter, but it was obvious that you weren't entirely up to the weather. The girls asked you if you were okay once again, and you reassured them that it had just been a rough night, nothing else.</p>
<p>To your dismay, however, you were halted in the middle of the hallway as you were returning to try and get some more rest by none other than Mrs. Henzler, who immediately noticed your withered state.</p>
<p>"I know this may come off as rather insensitive of me, seeing your current state, but I've been called to another meeting with Mr. Yeager this evening. I'm able to attend, but I'm afraid I must ask you and the other consultees to also come along. We will be informed of the next steps we will be taking in trainings"</p>
<p>Fantastic. Put simply, being a consultee, like yourself, meant that you watched over a certain group of women, taking note of their progress and work which would be checked in at the end of every week, back at the tavern. You had been assigned the group that included Viktoria, alongside another 4 women, and there were 3 others like yourself who had their own group to watch over.</p>
<p>But you really didn't want to have to stay awake up until late again, especially now that you were actually going to have to pay attention, and not just wash up some clothes. Nevertheless, you told Mrs. Henzler that it was of no problem, and that you would join her after dinner that same evening.</p>
<p>And join her you did, right after you managed to unstick Viktoria off of you. She was worried for your wellbeing, which you highly appreciated, but you really didn't want to turn up late, seeing as the other consultees had already taken their leave from the tables.</p>
<p>"Good evening, I'm pleased to see you are all as well as you were the first day"</p>
<p>Once again, you were met with the leader of the volunteers, Zeke Yeager. The five of you made your way into the office, a single seat placed in front of his desk that was pushed out to welcome your head woman. Keeping your eyes on Mrs. Henzler, you hadn't realised the other participants of the meeting.</p>
<p>As you took your place beside Bernadette, another one of the consultees, you took a quick glance at the people stood parallel to you.</p>
<p>"As you have brought together some of your key members, I would like to formally introduce you to my own supervisors. I'm sure you ladies have already gotten familiar with them during meals and other occasions"</p>
<p>All too well, you had. It really just didn't come as surprise to you when your eyes met Yelena's dark ones. It was as if you were both, somehow, mutually following each other, and truthfully, it was getting rather tiresome. If you had already dreaded the meeting before even arriving, you were now quite convinced to just leave without any further notice.</p>
<p>"From the first training that took place yesterday, they have a few observations that will define the groups that will eventually be set to work together in the future offence"</p>
<p>"Correct. Judging by the ways of combat of each of you, we have sorted you all out into groups with our own members that share similar fighting skills, to ensure efficiency when working together"</p>
<p>Mrs. Henzler nodded from her seat, waiting to see how her women were to be classified with the volunteers. She had been watching from afar when they were going up against them, so she had already seen how Mr. Yeager's fighters acted.</p>
<p>"There will be four groups, each will be assigned a certain position and a series of strategies that they will start working on as soon as possible"</p>
<p>"Before we join the teams, I'd like to express a remark concerning a few of the AGL members"</p>
<p>At the woman's voice, Zeke turned his head towards her, having clearly not expected specific comments to be made before the groups held their own, individual reunions.</p>
<p>"Go ahead, Yelena"</p>
<p>You had to hold back from scrunching up your nose at the sight of the blonde soldier as she took a step forward. She truly believed she owned the place, and it appalled you immensely. You couldn't quite comprehend how her peers put up with her attitude.</p>
<p>"I won't say names, however, I believe that certain members require more intense training before they are fit to set foot on the battlefield. It's a requirement we seek for all of our soldiers, but I'm certain Carsten has formed methodical teams to solve this problem"</p>
<p>Judging by his reaction, the brunette man that stood beside her was the one she had mentioned. It was almost as if he now felt a little agitated upon hearing Yelena's words, as the responsibility completely fell on him and everyone was now aware of who had made up the groups. He'd be the one to receive the complaints if there were any problems.</p>
<p>You weren't concerned about that, though. Not at all. Rather, it was the blatant slander the blonde woman had just spoken towards you in the presence of your head woman. The sheer audacity she had was beyond belief, and in that moment you just wanted the next two months to pass by in an instant.</p>
<p>"Precisely. Now, as for the formations we will take during future trainings, I here have the names written down. I, Laurens, will join with Bernadette's group of women. Alina and Thalia will be assigned the second formation. Rebekka's team will join together with Carsten's, and finally, Y/N's troupe will be merged up with Yelena's"</p>
<p>He had to be joking.</p>
<p>"The teams' plans of actions, as well as their assigned sector of attack will be discussed at another moment, with only the specified members, so as to not prolong this meeting any further than necessary"</p>
<p>Surely there could be a way to switch up the roles, right? It appeared that your surprise, and borderline disgust, was shared by the other team leader, who was now turned towards the man named Laurens, trying to get a look at the paper he had grasped in his hands.</p>
<p>"That concludes our meeting, then. I apologise for such a brief reunion, but you must understand that I can't spend much time around here"</p>
<p>"Of course. And once again, a pleasure seeing you Mr. Yeager, we all highly appreciate the work you and your comrades are doing for us"</p>
<p>No, you didn't. Well, at least not now.</p>
<p>The women who had been standing beside you had quickly approached the ones they had been called out with, and were greeting each other with warm smiles. You remained in your position, instead watching as Mrs. Henzler stood up and flattened out her skirt. You wanted to ask her for help, or anything to just avoid having to get involved with the menacing woman again.</p>
<p>It was Yelena that approached you, a folder in her hand with a list of names on its cover. You spotted your own, and you had to bite back a sigh of realisation. You had really been thrown straight into the fire with this one.</p>
<p>"Call up all of your members, we're having a reunion in 10 down in the meeting hall"</p>
<p>She didn't even spare you a second glance as she left the room right after she had spoken to you. The others didn't seem to have noticed the coldness between the two of you, and were already taking their own leave. You were left standing for a few seconds, processing what had just happened.</p>
<p>Lost in your thoughts, you hadn't realised Zeke's concerned eyes that lingered on you until you left the room, delivering a smile at your own forced one as you bid him farewell. He hadn't the time to worry about tensions between fighters, unfortunately.</p>
<p>Putting up another act, you hurriedly looked for Viktoria and the other girls, finding them in the shared rooms playing a game of cards. At the news, they all scurried around to get properly dressed, and you were all back down on the ground floor just in time to join the others in the meeting hall.</p>
<p>"I'm sure you all know why we're here, assuming that the information was correctly passed on to you. I'm going to make this quick: all of the people sat here will be taking up the charge of espionages. We will be the ones to infiltrate into the main buildings of attack, allowing the preparation team to set out the attack's base"</p>
<p>You were stood beside Yelena, as the supposed captain of your own group. It was hard to miss the daunting height difference between the two of you, and you were expecting to be mocked about it by your comrades once the meeting was over.</p>
<p>"Now this doesn't mean that we will be sat with our arms crossed when the attack begins. We will be taking part just like the rest of the fighters, so trainings will combine both combat and agility"</p>
<p>Everyone nodded in agreement, remaining silent. Some stole glances at the ones they hadn't met before, familiarising themselves with the people they were to work with from now on. For now, nobody seemed to be giving interested eyes towards anyone.</p>
<p>"We will start tomorrow morning, at sunrise. There will be both morning and afternoon shifts, with a three hour period between them for lunch and any other possible tasks. Are there any questions?"</p>
<p>After receiving no complaints or queries, Yelena dismissed everyone. Judging by the speed of the meeting, she was anything but pleased to have held it. You watched as Viktoria, alongside the others, walked out of the door whilst sparking up conversation with the volunteers, whilst you had to stay behind a little longer to read some of the documents.</p>
<p>You didn't dare speak a word to the one that stood beside you, who was flicking through other papers of possible useful information. For that reason, you thought nothing of it when you picked up the pages and began your walk down the large table towards the door.</p>
<p>"Where do you think you're going?"</p>
<p>Tilting your head to look behind you, an eyebrow arched towards the one who had just spoken.</p>
<p>"I figured we were done here, I have nothing to ask of you"</p>
<p>In silence, Yelena picked up the folder and rounded the table so she was on the same side as you were, slowing walking up to you. It was her need for making situations much more complicated and frustrating that got on your nerve, and yet you remained in your position, back still towards her.</p>
<p>"We're supposed to be the ones organising all of this, if you didn't catch the memo, sweetheart"</p>
<p>You turned your body so you were now facing you, and you brought out your free hand to pull out the chair that was closest to you, tilting your head with a sickly sweet smile.</p>
<p>"Alright then, let's talk"</p>
<p>Sitting down on the chair, you slammed the papers onto the wooden surface before intertwining your fingers under your chin and looking straight ahead, waiting. If she wanted to discuss something, you were all ears.</p>
<p>In a split second, you felt a hand grab hold of your jaw, turning your head up and forcing you to meet Yelena's half-lidded eyes. You were left with wide eyes at the sudden act, unable to react as you remained silent as she spoke.</p>
<p>"I don't know who the fuck you think you're talking to here, missy, but I recommend you pull your act together before I snap that pretty little neck of yours"</p>
<p>"Just you fucking try"</p>
<p>You managed to regain your composure, but you were quickly shut down again as you felt her hand tighten around you, leaning down so she was mere inches away from your face, once again. Your own hand came up to wrap around her slim wrist, with the intentions of giving her a warning.</p>
<p>But that wasn't really how it was interpreted.</p>
<p>"I can make your stay here a living hell, and believe me, I will if you don't start acting with some minimal decency. Do you think I want to be working with someone like you?"</p>
<p>You weren't going to remain quiet, so you answered her without hesitation. It was a known fact to never show fear, if possible, when confronted with a rival.</p>
<p>"As if I'm ecstatic to be in the same group with you. The feeling's mutual"</p>
<p>"Oh, I can assure you, it is"</p>
<p>Yelena let go of you swiftly, and you removed your own grip from her as she leaned her other arm onto the table, caging you in as she still loomed over you. It was a rather daunting sight, but you weren't about to crumble under her stare.</p>
<p>"But, you know, if you want to withdraw from the whole project, the door is right there. Besides, I'm more than capable enough to herd the others around without your cooperation"</p>
<p>"That won't be of concern, I'll be staying right here. I want to get a good look at your face when you realise that I'm actually not as useless as you claim me to be"</p>
<p>"Doubtful, but it will be fun to watch you try your upmost best to then not even scratch the bare minimum"</p>
<p>You turned away from her face, looking back down at the tedious documents that you had been given. Her words were starting to get to you, to tell the truth, and rather than bringing you down, it incited the hatred you felt towards her. It had become a bugging feeling that turned your stomach whenever you looked at her.</p>
<p>Out of momentary distraction, you didn't notice her face getting closer once more to you, but this time it seemed she wasn't there to stay.</p>
<p>"Just don't fuck it up for the rest of us"</p>
<p>Her voice, toned down into a whisper, was so near, you didn't dare turn your head, keeping your eyes down. The closeness was short-lived, to your contentment, and soon she was walking past your chair, towards the exit of the room.</p>
<p>"I'm not discussing anything with you here now. This Saturday, in my office, we can talk over everything. Third floor, in the right wing, door 6, so you don't get yourself lost again"</p>
<p>With that, Yelena left you alone in the large room. You had to stabilise yourself before getting up, groaning as you took into consideration the absolute mess you were going to have to go through with that woman.</p>
<p>One thing was for sure, you were not going to let her trample over you, even if it meant taking the initiative into your own hands.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. For the defenceless</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was Thursday. Still a few days until the weekend came around, but it was more than enough time to start with trainings, the first session being at around 7am that morning. The sun was only just appearing, and the air was cold out in the courtyard, your group being the only one awake in the early hours.</p>
<p>"As I saw that most of you have knives that you use both as offence and defence weapons, today we will be focusing on only using them. We all have our own blades, and, in pairs, we are going to switch roles from attackers and defenders. It would be preferred if we didn't have to leave with major injuries"</p>
<p>Once again, you had to stand next to Yelena, unfortunately. You were shivering beneath your cloak, and you could visibly see that you weren't the only one suffering from the early morning temperature. You weren't even sure if you would be able to hold onto your knife correctly with the hand you could barely even feel.</p>
<p>The pairs were assigned, mixing both the volunteers and the women, and you didn't hesitate to bring your partner as far away as you could from the blonde soldier, so as to avoid her judgemental stare.</p>
<p>The man that stood before you seemed about as awake as you were, and you could see his hand shivering from the cold at his side. You started off easy, and as soon as you noticed that he was warming up, the two of you fought each other in a relatively safe way.</p>
<p>Though, one attack skimmed just a little too close to his chest for your liking, and you were quick to give him an apology, a bashful smile on your lips. He was actually quite a pleasant person to go against, and you were glad to try out your abilities with someone new.</p>
<p>A sudden yelp from one of the women put a halt to your defensive stand, however, and both you and your partner looked over towards where the sound had come from. On the ground, one of your comrades was pressing against her side, a red patch spreading across her white undershirt. The one who you presumed was the guilty doer was stood a few metres away from her.</p>
<p>"What is going on here?"</p>
<p>Concurrent to your own approach, Yelena tugged on her own comrade's shoulder, startling him. You leaned down to check up on the woman's state, instantly recognising that she would need her side patched up if she wanted to continue training any time soon. Turning around, you called over other members, who quickly took her inside the building.</p>
<p>The man had yet to speak up about what had happened, and you were starting to get impatient. As you stood up from your crouching position, you looked over at the volunteer, Yelena still at his side.</p>
<p>"What did you do? I thought we established that we weren't supposed to directly attack our opponents?"</p>
<p>He seemed anything but regretful of his actions as he looked back at you, knife still in his hand as it dripped with your companion's blood that had been shed just a few moments earlier.</p>
<p>"She had been going hysterical over me pulling her hair, and it was the only way I could think of to get her to calm down"</p>
<p>"Outright stabbing a comrade? In what moment did you think that would be a good idea?"</p>
<p>The clicks of your heels against the concrete sounded out as you approached the man, utterly bewildered by his way of thinking. What kind of people had Zeke even recruited to his group? You came up to his face, rage once again coming across your own. It was like you were surrounded by lunatics at this point.</p>
<p>"She is now going to have to take a few days off because of your unreasonable stunt. How are we supposed to train if we're going to start losing people like this?"</p>
<p>Rather than with an answer from the man himself, you were responded by the woman stood next to him, who, upon seeing your threatening stance against her ally, grabbed onto your own shoulder, pushing you away from him.</p>
<p>"Alright, it's n-"</p>
<p>"Get your hands off of me!"</p>
<p>Without thinking twice, you smacked her arm away; but before you were able to turn back to the one who had injured your associate, the front of your cloak was grasped by Yelena's firm hand. This caused your fighting instincts to kick in, bringing the knife quickly up towards her as you now stared up at her. You had had enough of her bullshit.</p>
<p>She dodged the attack, and you started to struggle out of her grasp, attempting to get an easier access to deliver an attack towards the woman. A sharp pain hit your knee and you started to feel yourself falling down to the ground. You weren't going to go down alone, though, and you hit the cold surface whilst your hand grabbed onto Yelena's hair, her own body falling atop of yours.</p>
<p>Luckily, she had managed to bring out an arm so as to not squish you under her, but her other, armed hand aimed straight towards your head. Seeing the glint of the knife just centimetres away from your face, you managed to shift yourself to the side, a loud clatter of the metal weapon hitting the ground just beside your ear.</p>
<p>Ignoring the shouts from those around you, your right hand came back up again, trying your luck to get at least a scratch on Yelena's neck to distract her, allowing you to then get away from her. Unfortunately, your movement had already been predicted by the one above you, resulting in your wrist being pinned down to the floor.</p>
<p>Before your leg was able to deliver a kick, and seconds prior to Yelena's knife reaching your neck, a familiar voice shouted out, much closer to the two of you than the others that had been trying to stop the fight. It was Viktoria, who was now pushing on the taller woman to try and knock her over.</p>
<p>"That's enough! One of you is going to get seriously injured! Pack it in! I thought we were supposed to be working together, not against each other"</p>
<p>As unbelievable as it had seemed in the moment, Yelena halted her arm and looked up towards the woman, taking notice of her words. Though she wasn't pushed over by the smaller female, her body leaned away from yours, sitting back on her bent knees for a split second before she stood up. You didn't miss the the bitter glare she shot down at you.</p>
<p>"Everyone, go back to your places. The show's over"</p>
<p>You were now leaning back on your arms, having pulled yourself up, as Viktoria checked to see if you had any cuts or scratches, muttering displeased words regarding the blonde woman whilst she did. As the others returned to their original area in the courtyard, you couldn't peel your eyes off of Yelena's back as she walked away.</p>
<p>She angered you so much. You could feel a pulse against your skull as you leaned forward, hissing as you realised that your back had received a much harsher blow when you had hit the ground. Viktoria, upon seeing you flinch, wrapped her arm under your own, helping you to stand up.</p>
<p>Alongside the man who had been previously training with you, the three of you returned to the building, seeing as you weren't in the right shape to continue fighting for now. You would be recovered for the afternoon session, but what you now needed was to lay down, perhaps even receive a soozing massage.</p>
<p>"Have you...spoken to her before? You seemed to be quite angry at her when she held onto your arm"</p>
<p>Viktoria was sat beside you, on a chair that she had pulled up beside your bed. The unnamed volunteer had left you to rest once you had arrived at the room, so it was just the two of you.</p>
<p>"Kind of"</p>
<p>"You've never mentioned her to me, though. You should have said something, I could have tried to help out, or at least try to prevent the two of you from getting involved with each other"</p>
<p>"I can't just avoid someone who we are currently supposed to be working together with. Besides, it's really not that big of a deal"</p>
<p>Leaning back into the chair, Viktoria let her head fall backwards, letting out an unconvinced hum. You looked over to her, sensing that she was about to deliver a speech to you.</p>
<p>"It didn't look like it wasn't that big of a deal back there; I could quite literally feel the tension the moment you approached her. You two were like cat and dog, and she was pretty close to biting your head off"</p>
<p>The two of you giggled at her words, and you couldn't help but reimagine the scene as a simple fight between animals. You had to admit, the whole ordeal had gotten out of hand, and at one point you had truly believed that she would harm you. Her eyes had just been so...menacing.</p>
<p>"Honestly though, what set off the spark between you two? Surely it couldn't have just been a misunderstanding"</p>
<p>Maybe it had been? No, you were sure the first interaction between the two of you had been merciless, going in for the throat on her behalf.</p>
<p>That was it, she was always trying to get under your skin. Underestimating you with her words, belittling you despite the very few moments you had actually spoken to each other. It was as if she held a grudge towards you, but why? Sure, now you reciprocated her harsh comments, but at the beginning you had spoken to her with no ill intentions whatsoever.</p>
<p>And yet, here you were. You knew you hadn't really wanted to hurt her, but your mind had been clouded by resentment, causing you to act without reason. Now, you were left with the fear that she truly wanted to harm you, upon seeing her own reactions.</p>
<p>"Y/N? Are you there?"</p>
<p>Viktoria's hand waving in front of your face snapped you out of the train of thoughts, making you come back to reality. Your doziness wasn't even due to a lack of sleep, so you weren't sure how you had drifted off so rapidly.</p>
<p>"Well...Honestly, I suppose we just don't click together. We've had a few arguments here and there, but it's nothing to worry about. But, anyway, I really don't want to cause you any more distractions, you should get back to training"</p>
<p>Deciding not to dig any deeper into the matter, the dark haired woman gave you a look of slight concern before saying goodbye and leaving you in your own solitude. You didn't want to be a burden over something so insignificant, so you figured it was the best thing to do.</p>
<p>That day, after lunch, you were able to rejoin your group and continue to build upon your skills alongside the others. It goes without saying that you didn't dare even spare a glance towards Yelena, and the space between you two that was held when she was explaining at the beginning of each session grew larger and larger each time.</p>
<p>When Saturday afternoon came by, you hadn't even realised how fast the days had passed. Those two, blissful days without the burden that was the blonde soldier were absolutely delightful, and you were able to enjoy your time with the other fighters.</p>
<p>Of course, the prickling sensation of knowing that she was still there continued to pick at your mind, but you quickly got used to it. All you had to do was endure the meeting that evening, and then you could free yourself from her for another few days.</p>
<p>At the end of the afternoon shift, you were deliberate to stay alongside the ones you had been practising defence skills, waiting until Yelena took her leave before heading inside yourself. She would be waiting for you in her office anyway, so what was the rush?</p>
<p>However, as you saw the familiar tall figure walk towards your direction, you kept your eyes on your allies, avoiding any sort of contact with her unless she specifically asked for it. Which, of course, she did.</p>
<p>"The meeting is called off. I'll inform you when the next one will be held"</p>
<p>And with that, she was already taking her lead, back turned against you as she had no intentions of speaking to you further than necessary. You weren't even surprised, not one bit. It appalled you, the way she just decided to cancel the meeting at such a notice, but what were you supposed to do?</p>
<p>The following week and a half spiralled into ignorance because of this occurrence: the two of you acted as if the other didn't even exist. No glances, no comments, no conversations. Nothing. You were mutually obviating your existences, and, truthfully, you couldn't have been happier.</p>
<p>That is, until you talked to Bernadette about the plans her own group had been working on.</p>
<p>"Laurens is an excellent organiser, it's like he's had it all planned out in his head from the beginning, it's incredible! But...enough about me, how are you lot doing?"</p>
<p>There was absolutely nothing planned or even scheduled. It was simply a daily repetition of trainings that Yelena would quite possibly make up on the spot, without a defined path that you were all following. It was embarrassing, to say the least, but it was the reality of your group. Two weeks it had been since the start of the formations, and yet you were all still at square one.</p>
<p>But you weren't going to be the one to come forward. If Yelena wanted to cancel the meeting, then so be it. She could be the one to sort everything out if she was unwilling to work with you. At the back of your mind, though, you felt guilty towards your comrades, and you knew that something had to be done sooner or later.</p>
<p>And that it did.</p>
<p>"Tonight, 9pm, in my office"</p>
<p>Again, straight to the point, the woman spared no extra time with you when she passed by you during dinner on Wednesday evening. You had been enjoying a conversation with your friends, so you were more than joyful about being suddenly interrupted in that manner.</p>
<p>In front of you, Yosefine gave you a sarcastic, surprised face once Yelena had walked away, which you simply waved off, explaining that it was to be expected of her at that point.</p>
<p>To say your stomach was churning as you reached the third floor was an understatement. You played it off as though she didn't intimidate you, discourage you, when in all reality you wanted anything but to have to face her again. Your feelings were all over the place, and you truly didn't know what to think of her as you stood before the door with a number 6 on it.</p>
<p>As you knocked on the door, your other hand tightened around the papers you held in them, hoping you weren't leaving a mark or crinkling them up. Suddenly, your corset seemed to be just a little too tight around your body. Or was it just your increased breathing that made it seem that way?</p>
<p>"Come in"</p>
<p>Pushing the door open, you found Yelena at the end of the room, behind her desk. It was very similarly set up as Zeke's own office, the only noticeable difference being the short amount of books that were placed in the bookcase behind her. Zeke was, after all, a man of his studies.</p>
<p>"Good evening"</p>
<p>You weren't going to be blatantly rude now that the two of you were alone. You got away with ignoring her presence when others were around, but now it was just you and her. Nobody else around to save you.</p>
<p>"I expect you brought the papers. We have a lot to discuss tonight"</p>
<p>Nodding in her direction, you slowly closed the door behind you, making sure you heard a small 'click' before you turned to take the seat placed right in front of the desk. The papers you had been holding were spread out before you, confirming their presence, and Yelena didn't waste another second to begin.</p>
<p>"Firstly, we have to start dividing the members into different areas. Here is the map of the area of attack, each building accessible is marked with an 'X'. I believe there should be a distribution of two people for each site, even if that means leaving one of the buildings empty"</p>
<p>You leaned over slightly to get a better look of the map that was now sprawled out on the table, slightly covering your own papers. Hands remaining on your lap, you were careful to not lose your balance as you skimmed over the intricate map. You were amazed by the author's skills to depict the area.</p>
<p>"Alright. Each pair could be located in different spots in the same building, allowing a larger range of surveillance"</p>
<p>"Precisely"</p>
<p>The main focus was now on threading a successful plan, so you were completely unaware of the closeness between you and Yelena. Of course, it was due to the fact it was simply easier to look at the map that way, but it was still something you wouldn't have willingly done in another situation.</p>
<p>"We have a fair idea of what kind of people will be in each of the premises, so from that we can specify how each pair will be trained, whether it be more centred around infiltration, offence or any other possible stances"</p>
<p>She was good at what she did, you had to admit that. Planning was never your forte when it came to missions or even simply organising a celebration back at the tavern, but right now you felt as if everything was, albeit slowly, falling into place.</p>
<p>"Do you have a vague idea of how the pairs will be assigned?"</p>
<p>"The volunteers will be up front, closer to the main focus of the attack; the women will be further back"</p>
<p>"Wait, why? Surely we should combine them up, to assure that there are-"</p>
<p>"It won't work"</p>
<p>So she was going down that road again. Lifting your head up, you realised just how close you were to her face. However, you didn't move, eyebrows knitting together as you started to remember why you couldn't stand the woman.</p>
<p>"I'm sure both your men and mine are both equally as capable to take up on any of these roles"</p>
<p>"We stand more of a chance if we stand nearer to the attack. It's not a matter of skills, it's more so of resistance"</p>
<p>Yelena was now standing up, having distanced herself from you as she stared down with the ever so familiar glare of hers on you. You mimicked her stance, and watched as she fiddled with the end of her suit's sleeve, making her way around he table whilst she spoke.</p>
<p>"Admit it, you are all more fit to fight, rather than defend. I'll admit, you're good at securing a kill, but it will only take a faint breeze to knock some of you over"</p>
<p>"What the hell makes you think that?"</p>
<p>She was now standing before you, looking down as if she were observing her pray. You peered up at her, trying your upmost best to not appear weak or scared. But, unfortunately, she had an effect on you.</p>
<p>"You're practically shaking beneath me right as we speak. Do you think that's a fit attitude for a soldier? Because I, honestly, do not"</p>
<p>Yelena's lips were now turned up into a guileful smirk, one you had never even thought of seeing during your time spent with the volunteers. You weren't going to remain silent, though.</p>
<p>"I don't really expect to encounter such an unpleasant woman during the attack, so it really isn't of my concern"</p>
<p>An irk of her eyebrow told you that you had successfully gotten through to her, breaking past her presiding stance as you gave her your own little smile.</p>
<p>"Unpleasant? That's a new one, coming from the one who tried to attack me not too long ago"</p>
<p>"Oh, but so did you. So I suppose we're on equal terms here then, hm?"</p>
<p>Confidence had finally grown, and you were no longer fearing over the possibility that this woman could easily dispose of you if she so pleased.</p>
<p>"If you're going to be a bitch, do me a favour and at least try a little harder, because right now all I'm seeing is a cowardly princess who doesn't know what to say next"</p>
<p>Her hand had moved up to your hair, stroking it mockingly as she used the nickname on you, which she could visibly tell you weren't half happy about. You despised such belittling names when they came from someone such as herself.</p>
<p>"Call me a princess one more fucking time, I dare you"</p>
<p>A hum escaped Yelena's lips, and she lowered herself down enough that you could feel her breath on you, once again. The smirk still prominent on her lips, she narrowed her eyes as she whispered to you.</p>
<p>"I'd like to see what you'll do about it, princess"</p>
<p>You could almost hear the snap of the tension breaking the moment you felt her lips smash onto yours, her hand now grabbing your hair from behind as you hastily moved into the kiss.</p>
<p>Really, it was about time you relieved the growing stress that had been harbouring inside of you.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. A necessary agreement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a moment of sheer rashness.</p>
<p>Yelena's body, towering over your own, was slowly backing you up towards the wall that stood behind your own frame, her lips not leaving your for even a split second. As your back hit the hard surface, her slim fingers untangled themselves from your hair, moving instead to rest on the wall just beside your head.</p>
<p>Her other hand, however, hadn't wasted a second to grab onto your neck, securing you in place despite the lack of force that was behind her grip. A hum escaped her lips as she angled her head to the other side, momentarily leaving your lips bare, though her eyes never left them.</p>
<p>You were sure the air had turned warmer, your own burning skin from your cheeks adding to the factor. As you angled yourself back towards her, you decided to go a little further, daringly opening your mouth slightly as you met her once more. She quickly picked up on your intentions, deepening the kiss as her tongue slipped inside with ease.</p>
<p>The growing stir in your stomach hadn't gone unnoticed, and it only got more intense when Yelena's hand slid down your collarbone, her fingers playing with the fabric of your undershirt. By now, your own hands had secured themselves onto the front of her suit, almost appearing as if you wanted to push her away. But you didn't, and they simply remained there, resting almost.</p>
<p>From need of air, the two of you broke away. But instead of holding a painstakingly tense stare, Yelena dipped her head straight down towards your neck. It was a little complicated, seeing as she had to lean down quite a bit to reach you, but she was using the wall to her advantage, allowing her to keep a lower stand for an easier access.</p>
<p>Your hands snaked up towards her blonde hair, fingers threading through as you leaned into her touch. It was rather complicated to not let out a vulnerable noise whilst she nipped at your skin, but you managed to substitute it with low sighs, your eyes shut as though you were concentrated on this task.</p>
<p>However, a noise at the door knocked you out of your hazy trance, head snapping towards the wooden entrance in surprise. It was then that you realised what exactly was going on. Feeling almost revolted by your careless actions, you shoved the taller woman away from you with force you hadn't even expected to have in such an unguarded state.</p>
<p>"Y/N? It's me, Yosefine. I just wanted to inform you that we're having a slight...issue back in the bedrooms, so if you could come by as soon as you've finished in there, it would be very much appreciated"</p>
<p>Yelena stood behind you, yourself having taken a few steps towards the door before the voice on the other side spoke out. What the hell had just happened?</p>
<p>You didn't even want to turn around to see the blonde's face, it was almost as if you now truly feared her. Though, she was probably in a similar state of confusion, and quite possibly shock, as you.</p>
<p>"I'll be right there once we're done, don't worry"</p>
<p>It took all the willpower in you to speak without giving away the fact that you were currently reevaluating your previous actions, wondering if perhaps you had simply just been drugged. Why else would you have pulled such an anomalous move with the one you currently held the most hatred towards?</p>
<p>Hearing the footsteps leave the doorway, you remembered the sole reason you were in the room. Like it or not, you were going to have to talk to Yelena, because there were still matters to be discussed and you were not going to let that slip up avert you from your objectives.</p>
<p>So you turned around, a compulsive look on your face as you balled up your right hand anxiously. It was going to be awkward, painfully awkward, but it had to be done. You just had to ignore what had just happened and carry on out your simple life.</p>
<p>"Let's get on with it then, shall we"</p>
<p>It would seem that the desire to forget what had happened just seconds ago was shared by Yelena, as she walked back towards her desk and cleared out her throat before moving on to the next topic at hand.</p>
<p>You weren't entirely sure if she simply did this because of your own, ignorant attitude after the uncanny occurrence, or because she truly did want to obviate what had happened. As considerate as you were, you hoped it was the second one.</p>
<p>There was no way she felt even the slightest remorse towards you, so the possibility that she actually wanted that to happen was near to, if not completely, inexistent. At least, that's what you presumed - no one wants to willingly be in such close contact with their rival.</p>
<p>So you really didn't think anything of it when you bid her farewell at the end of the meeting, having there not been another word shared between the two of you that wasn't related to the subjects discussed.</p>
<p>Besides, there were now other issues to be dealt with. When you returned to the bedrooms, you were greeted with a cluster of women, divided in two groups. On one end, Viktoria was bawling her eyes out, hands covering her face as her body shook; and in front of her stood Bernadette, seemingly unfazed whilst being spoken to by the other girls.</p>
<p>"What happened here?"</p>
<p>"To put into few words, Bernadette caught Viktoria getting a little too comfortable with that one guy she's been interested in, you know...Onyankopon I think she said?"</p>
<p>Christ, you had spoken to her about this not too long ago. You had noticed that the two of them were getting rather friendly with each other, and the last thing everyone wanted was to go back to the tavern and witness the catastrophic break up that would occur between her and Theo.</p>
<p>It was an utterly heartless move to cheat on someone who was anxiously waiting for your return back home, and you had assumed she knew better.</p>
<p>"It needed to be said. I'm not going to tolerate her going off with another guy when all of us here know damn well she's already got someone. Have you not taken a moment to think about how he would feel about this?"</p>
<p>There was no answer, the tears choking up the girl who was being spoken to. As much as you cared for her, what she had done was unacceptable, and you were sure to speak to her once she calmed down. The night wasn't looking to be such a lucky one, considering the mayhem that had just occurred both with you and Viktoria.</p>
<p>"Let's get to sleep, we can talk about this another time. Bernadette, perhaps it would be better if you slept in the next room"</p>
<p>"Fine by me"</p>
<p>As she walked past you, out of the door alongside some other girls, you sighed out to yourself. This was really the last thing you needed that evening; even so, you walked up to Viktoria, resulting in a rather late night spent awake as you talked to her, accompanied by the other women that shared the room.</p>
<p>The whole situation with Yelena had all but passed over your head, painfully clear when you were sat down at breakfast the next morning, just before training. Everyone was there, and yet it took you less than a second to spot her when you entered the room.</p>
<p>Your eyes didn't linger on her, though, because all you got from doing so were vivid flashbacks of the night before. Not something you were fond of remembering in the slightest.</p>
<p>As a result, you purposely sat with your back to her, focusing more on the continuing rant that Viktoria had decided to resume the moment you woke up. At this point, it was really just her trying to convince herself that what she had done was an accident, and that she was to never do it again.</p>
<p>"You two can be friends, but you have to let him know that you already have someone, or he's just going to keep up the act, thinking you're still interested in him"</p>
<p>"But how am I supposed to just tell him that after what happened? I can't face him after yesterday, especially since Bernadette made such a scene when she found us"</p>
<p>Said woman was far enough away to not hear Viktoria's words, but she still kept her voice down.</p>
<p>"Well you shouldn't have done that in the first place then, you silly git. Listen, just because he had his tongue down your throat yesterday does not mean you can't speak to him today, so get that little ass of yours and go tell him the truth"</p>
<p>Yosefine was a woman of many words, and it wasn't rare that she used rather obscure, and sometimes even threatening, words to motivate someone into doing something. It sounded like she was ordering you around, when in reality, her intentions were only for the best.</p>
<p>So much so, her speech led you to think back on your own situation. You had two choices: go back to ignoring Yelena completely, simply just dreading the meetings, or actually speak to her about what had happened. The latter would be the one Yosefine would push you towards, but the bundle of unsure feelings took you to think towards your other option.</p>
<p>It was complicated. Though everything was now organised, going to plan with each training session, a deep, unsettling feeling in your stomach persisted with you whenever you were even remotely near the woman.</p>
<p>It was even worse when you passed by her in the hallways one day whilst you were accompanied by some of your comrades, knowing all too well that if they were to find out what had happened, you wouldn't be able to show your face in public ever again.</p>
<p>And so the days went by, each time nearing the proposed date of the attack. With now just a little over a month to go, connections between volunteers and servicewomen were growing ever stronger. There were minor scandals, but it was to be expected among such a large group of people. Nothing neared the pressure shared between you and Yelena, though.</p>
<p>It was all topped off when you were called to Zeke's office, who had only recently come back to check up on the strategies and plans that were going underway in the headquarters, if they could be called such a place.</p>
<p>When you entered the room, you were met by just him, sat in his chair as he would during any other meetings that occurred in there. It was rather strange, albeit, seeing as nobody else from AGL had been asked to attend the mid afternoon reunion, but you didn't question it. Surely he had his own reasons.</p>
<p>"Good afternoon, Y/N. I'm glad to see you once again. Tell me, how is everything working out with your cooperatives?"</p>
<p>"Smoothly. We already have our base formation for the location of the attack, and everyone is now focusing on their specific combat field, before the weaponry arrives next week. I've estimated that everyone should be prepared in around two weeks"</p>
<p>Adjusting his glasses as he listened to you, Zeke nodded in understandment. You were glad that he wasn't making any criticises towards your words, meaning that he hadn't called you in here to reprimand you. A relief, none the less.</p>
<p>"Yes, we've been told that they should be arriving around the middle of the week, if transportation doesn't pose any problems during their arrival. After that, there will be m-"</p>
<p>He was cut off by the sound of three knocks at the door, informing you that you perhaps weren't going to be alone during the meeting. Maybe it was Mrs. Henzler; you hadn't heard much from her as of lately, so you wouldn't be surprised if it was the case.</p>
<p>"You may come in"</p>
<p>The door creaked slightly as the unknown person pushed it open slowly.</p>
<p>"Mr. Yeager, please excuse the tardiness, I was occupied with some of th-"</p>
<p>Now, you weren't sure if the universe had something against you, or was simply purposely setting obstacles before you. Either way, the odds weren't in your favour as of lately, and it really just wasn't making your experience very enjoyable.</p>
<p>"That's quiet alright, Yelena, we've only been waiting for a few minutes"</p>
<p>Zeke was a much more preferable sight to look upon now that you had realised who was joining you, and you turned back towards him as soon as you did. You now knew why he had called you in.</p>
<p>It was blindingly clear how much the two of you were not best pleased to be standing beside each other once more, and it was the perfect situation for the man in front of you to start speaking.</p>
<p>"I've been hearing from others that it seems the two of you don't appear to be getting along very well. Usually, I wouldn't be concerned with something like this, as misunderstandings blow over, but seeing as you are both commanders for your troupe, I'm going to need you to come to a relatively pacific bond"</p>
<p>Both of you remained silent. It was true, the behaviour you held towards her was anything but helpful when trying to plan a cooperative attack, but she was also holding a knife against you at all times. You were both to blame.</p>
<p>"I'm not saying you need to be close friends, but if you don't come to a mutual agreement, we are going to start seeing consequences of your manners. I would like to know, if there is one, the reason behind your dislike for each other, if that's of no problem"</p>
<p>You opened your mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off by the one stood beside you, speaking up for both of you.</p>
<p>"It's nothing, in all honesty. Though, I understand that it is originating problems for our comrades, and for that, we will correct our conduct"</p>
<p>She was quite adamant in keeping her posture before her boss. You couldn't really blame her, though: you would always resemble a tree whenever you discussed important matters or was scolded by your own head woman, stiff and careful with your words. It was just a matter of authority that the higher ups possessed.</p>
<p>Zeke, however, didn't seem entirely content with her answer. He was probably looking to resolve the conflict there and then, but it seemed his recruit wished otherwise. She didn't want to be a waste of time for him, so it was clear she wanted to leave as soon as he permitted her to.</p>
<p>With a sigh, he took off his glasses, placing them on his desk as he looked back up at the two of you.</p>
<p>"If you wish to resolve the issue by yourselves, then I suppose this meeting is concluded. You may leave if there is nothing else either of you would like to mention"</p>
<p>Agreeing that there was nothing else to be said, you exited the room, closing the door behind you carefully. You felt guilty that Zeke had to call you both up for such an issue, so you felt the need to speak to the other about what the hell was going on between you.</p>
<p>"Yelena"</p>
<p>The meek voice reached the taller woman, who stopped in her tracks and turned towards you upon hearing her name. You took a moment to decide what exactly you were going to say, having avoided her for such a while.</p>
<p>"I'm...Shit, I'm sorry for what's going on. I know it must be a huge burden on you, and I just wanted to apologise for it. I know we don't agree on much, but that was no reason for my ignorance towards you"</p>
<p>Your words were sincere, but you weren't able to tell if they were because you were just trying to fix up the situation, or if you actually started to sympathise with her. You still hadn't managed to sort out your feelings, and it was taking its toll on you.</p>
<p>On her behalf, Yelena remained silent for a few seconds, thinking on the words as she looked down on you. She didn't make an attempt to walk closer to you, but she gave you her answer faster than you had initially expected.</p>
<p>"Don't apologise. Disliking someone isn't rare, nor are the reactions towards it. This isn't about making peace between us, but rather something we must do for the sake of our allies. If you want to despise me, be my guest. I assure you I won't lose sleep over it"</p>
<p>Even when trying to reconcile you couldn't stand her. It was the lack of empathy that her words held when speaking to you that made you feel worthless, and you weren't sure if you were ever going to be able to get used to them.</p>
<p>But, you could also just about understand her point. There was no reason in holding grudges when you were all on the verge of an attack, an occurrence that relied on cooperation and understanding.</p>
<p>Yelena was about to take her leave, seeing as you had gone silent amongst your thoughts, but you were quick to halt her before she did.</p>
<p>"And about what happened the other day, in your office. How do you want me to feel about that? I don't know about you, but it's been bugging me ever since and I'd like to get an explanation"</p>
<p>Cocking her head slightly to the side, her dark eyes narrowed at you as if amused by your words. It was that same looked she had given you back in the laundry room, weeks ago, and it still made you stomach flip in repulse. Though, granted, not as much as it used to.</p>
<p>"Think of it however you want, but I'll tell you this: two don't express attraction like that if one doesn't want to"</p>
<p>You could have pushed her away, but you didn't.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Not like any soldier</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mornings were no longer as cold as they had been, making the hours pass much more comfortably. Some even stripped down to their base layer of top clothing by the end of the session, beads of sweat coating their skin as they panted out unevenly.</p>
<p>The slight loss of tension between you and Yelena was also noticeable, and it gave you a sense of comfort knowing that things weren't as bad as they were just a few days earlier. Sure, you weren't going to go around jumping in grassy fields with her, but the small amount of mutual respect was greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Once concluded one of the morning training periods, you decided to approach her with the intentions of having a brief talk with her. Nothing was wrong, you simply were organising out the  weaponry that each member would take up on once they arrived at the volunteer's headquarters.</p>
<p>You approached her, determination in your step as you were no longer worried about getting reprimanded by her for simply being nearby.</p>
<p>"Yelena, do you have a moment? I won't be long, I just wanted to coordinate some plans with you, so we don't end up with misunderstandments later on"</p>
<p>The blonde looked down at you as she lowered the hand that had been raking through her hair, nodding once you finished speaking. Knowing she was now listening, you started to explain a few of the things you had prepared by yourself, justifying by saying that you didn't want to leave everything to her.</p>
<p>"And the ones located at the top of the southern building could be equipped with two sets of rifles, in case they encounter a fellow ally in need of a weapon. What do you think so far?"</p>
<p>Your finger had been eagerly pointing at the rough draft of a scheme that was on the paper you were holding, which you had specifically brought along with you that morning. Yelena remained silent as you explained, and you looked up at her for her opinion once you finished.</p>
<p>"I don't see any problems as of now, but we should probably take into account that those at the entrance of the western building won't be able to easily hide the guns you've assigned them"</p>
<p>"But won't they be disguised as Marleyan soldiers anyway?"</p>
<p>"Someone from the army could notice the difference in weapons, and then we'd be done for. I'd say we give them the rifles, which are similar to the ones the soldier use, and save the carbines for those at the top"</p>
<p>"Okay, but I thought they would be less suitable for the ones who are going to be long range aiming, that's why I gave them the rifles. Remember, they also have to sneak in without being caught with the weapons"</p>
<p>By now, everyone had left the courtyard, a few eyes having lingered on the two of you seemingly getting along. It was a relief, but they also found it rather sudden that the two of you had already made up.</p>
<p>"Yes, I know that. But the ones at the top also have less of a chance of getting hit, and therefore, have more time to straighten their aim if they happen to miss"</p>
<p>It really wasn't as complicated as the two of you were making it out to be, but the lingering distaste that you both still held towards each other was still very much present, and it didn't help out the situation.</p>
<p>"Alright, fine. But what about the rifles down below? They're not going to very much damage against men that will also be equipped with the same weapons"</p>
<p>"There will be more fighters moving in once the attack starts, so it won't be of a problem at the time"</p>
<p>You still couldn't get through to her. Hours on end had you spent the night before trying to set everything up, and she really believed that you hadn't thought of each and every possible outcome of the formations?</p>
<p>"That's true, but it still doesn't change how-"</p>
<p>"For fuck's sake, do you ever stop whining?"</p>
<p>Upon hearing her retort, you closed your mouth in an instant, eyes widening ever so slightly at the way she had spoken to you. Peering up at her, you noticed that she had long forgotten the paper in your hand, and was now looking down on you with dark eyes, tinted with irritation.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"Every single thing I say you always have to come back with some kind of complaint or contradiction. Do you think I don't know what the hell I'm talking about?"</p>
<p>Yelena was angry.</p>
<p>It wasn't the same anger you had seen when you had almost stabbed her with your knife, but rather a more fathomless one. The kind you only ever saw when someone had completely lost their patience, and although they weren't willing to physically attack the other, the sheer rage was more than enough to make someone take back their words.</p>
<p>"No, that's not what I'm sayi-"</p>
<p>"It seems like it is. I thought we decided to come to agreements with each other from now on? Is this your way of cooperating with someone?"</p>
<p>"You're the one snapping back at me whenever I make any plans! I spent hours on this yesterday, and now you're going to treat me as if I don't know what I'm doing?"</p>
<p>"Because you don't!"</p>
<p>Now she had done it.</p>
<p>"I try to help you out and lend you a hand, but all you ever fucking do is complain! I've done this shit before, and believe me, I know what can happen if things aren't devised accordingly; so for the love of god, can you just listen to me for once?"</p>
<p>You stood in complete silence for a few seconds, bringing down your eyes as you refused to look at hers any longer. Why hadn't you expected this? Why did you think you could actually come to an agreement with her?</p>
<p>It was tiring to have to do this. Tiring to know that the one you worked with couldn't stand you in the slightest, greatly underestimating you. And all the while you had just started to realise what was going on with your perception towards her: you didn't hate her, you wanted to understand her.</p>
<p>But you weren't going to do that today.</p>
<p>"Do it your fucking self then"</p>
<p>Slamming the papers into her chest, you turned on your heel and quickly made your way back inside, as far away as you could get from the one you dreaded to ever have to see again. The silence she maintained as you left gave you all the more reasons to leave without even considering her own feelings.</p>
<p>It took all of your strength to not allow yourself to cry; it would be weak of you, pathetic.</p>
<p>Just how she would describe you.</p>
<p>Even through all the belittling comments and unwelcoming stares, you still never truly felt pure hatred towards Yelena. There had always been a part of you, albeit a very small part, that wanted to actually speak to her, to maintain a conversation. To get to know her better.</p>
<p>However, you didn't like her. No. Rather, she simply intrigued you, fascinated you. Her physical strength was undeniable, and the way she held herself up at all times was something you could never see yourself being able to do during the entirety of your life. She was a true soldier.</p>
<p>A word that would never be used to describe you.</p>
<p>But at the same time, you wanted to get rid of her. Lose the burden that she was in your life. If there was no way to get through to her, the only other option you had left was to push her away. Snap back whenever she spoke down to you, return the malicious comments towards her. You couldn't allow her to bring you down, that was one thing you had been sure of right from the beginning.</p>
<p>Even so, your weakness was getting the best of you, and it only grew each time you confronted her. You knew she could see right through you, and for that reason she treated you as an inferior, because that was exactly what you were.</p>
<p>Lunch passed by without your presence, and immediately after the midday meal, Viktoria rushed into your shared bedroom, only to find yourself in the same state she herself had been in not too long ago.</p>
<p>"Y/N, what's wrong? Are you hurt? ...why are you crying?"</p>
<p>Other girls quickly gathered around at the doorway as you were enveloped in your friend's embrace. Shortly after, you were welcomed by Yosefine's own arms, after having pushed passed everyone who was huddled together in the room.</p>
<p>Of course, you weren't going to go into details about the situation, so you simply explained that you were getting overwhelmed with the work and trainings going on, assuring everyone that it was nothing to be alarmed about.</p>
<p>"If this has anything to do with that cheese haired woman, I swear to god..."</p>
<p>Some of the girls there were unaware of who Yelena was, leading to a rather derogatory explanation of the woman, courtesy of Yosefine's fine language. You denied her being involved in the current issue that was bugging you, but some didn't seem too convinced.</p>
<p>Viktoria offered to speak about it to Mr. Yeager, but you turned her down in gratitude, once again reassuring that there was nothing to be done about it. You were a grown woman, you could deal with your own problems at hand.</p>
<p>Problems that just kept coming around and stabbing you in the back.</p>
<p>"Come with me, we need to talk"</p>
<p>It was dinner time, and though the hall was bustling with conversations and lively faces, Yelena's cold presence behind you sent immediate shivers down your back, her own hand coming down to rest on your shoulder to get your attention.</p>
<p>It took Viktoria's grasp on Yosefine's arm to prevent the woman from lashing out at the one stood before her, and you were glad she hadn't managed to cause an unnecessary scene. This was your responsibility, and after placing down your cup, you excused yourself from the table.</p>
<p>Following closely behind her, you could feel several eyes pointed towards you. Rather than hang your head in shame, you simply looked ahead, towards the entrance of the dining hall. As you both reached the outer corridor, the silence became eminently noticeable, seeing as everyone was currently gathered for dinner.</p>
<p>As Yelena led you upstairs, towards what you could only presume to be her office, you wondered what could be the reason to want to speak to you in that moment, just hours after having lashed out at you for an insignificant reason. An apology was the last thing you would expect from her, so you truly couldn't pick up on her intentions.</p>
<p>Your heels resounded in the empty hallway of the third floor, and as you passed by the empty bedrooms, you took quick glances inside them, wondering if any of your comrades had skipped out on the meal.</p>
<p>After not long, Yelena stopped in her steps, startling you, having not expected her to halt so soon. You were certain her office was around the corner, knowing all too well where you had almost spent the evening just a few days ago.</p>
<p>Despite your confusion, you didn't say a word as she pushed open the door to the unknown room, which seemed to be already lit by a few lanterns, casting light into the dim hallway. You waited for her to enter, following suit as you peered your head in, taking in the unexplored surroundings.</p>
<p>The room had a similar interior design as the ones you and your coworkers slept in, the only difference being that there were only two beds instead of six bunk ones, which was the case for the rest of you. It didn't come as a surprise, though, as you were only simple visitors for the time being, whilst the volunteers probably spent long periods of time staying here.</p>
<p>There were also other pieces of furniture, which made up the extra free space in the room, such as a few shelves, a bookcase and a two-seat sofa, accompanied by a small coffee table. It looked more like an inn room rather than a regular one. You supposed it was what came with being a working soldier.</p>
<p>"Why did you bring me here?"</p>
<p>Removing her suit jacket, Yelena looked back at you, throwing her piece of clothing onto a chair that was placed next to one of the beds. You presumed it was hers, judging by the fact that on the same chair laid a piece of women's undergarment. Added to that, the other bed was rather messy, and had a pair of boots on top of the sheets. Yelena was currently wearing hers.</p>
<p>"My office is currently being used to hold another meeting, so I figured this was the second most adequate place to talk to you. Also, your room is just two doors down, if I'm not mistaken; you can just go straight there once we're done"</p>
<p>You remained standing at the now closed door, unsure of what to do. Although there were a few other chairs that you could take, as well as rather comfortable sofa placed near the doorway, you didn't want to accidentally infringe any sort of privacy, possibly resulting in yet another discussion between the two of you.</p>
<p>The blonde quickly noticed your ambling state.</p>
<p>"You can sit down, you know"</p>
<p>Opting towards taking a seat on the sofa, you smoothed down the back of your dress before lowering yourself down onto it, your hands moving to your lap as you watched Yelena walk towards you. Instead of grabbing a chair, she stayed standing up, her own arms crossing just beneath her chest as she began to talk.</p>
<p>"What happened this morning was anything but tolerable, on both of our behalves. I called you up here so we can try and come to an understanding, and I'm not referring to the plans. I'm sick and tired of having to deal with your behaviour"</p>
<p>Of course that's what she wanted to talk about.</p>
<p>"And what do you intend me to do? It's blindingly obvious that we can't stand each other, so I'm not quite sure what you expect from me"</p>
<p>Judging by the way she didn't react to your words, you could tell she didn't have even the slightest clue of what to do about it. She probably expected you to come up with a bright idea on the spot, which was rather funny considering she though of you to be unable to do anything else right.</p>
<p>"Face it, we're not going to get along, as much as Mr. Yeager keeps insisting that we do. Nothing's going to change unless you stop treating me like some useless scum"</p>
<p>At this, you could see Yelena's eyes widen ever so slightly. Though, she was quick to recover her half-lidded glare as she scoffed at you.</p>
<p>"Would you like me to praise you like the dainty woman that you are? Is that what you're implying? Because if that's the case, I can easily find you a carriage and get you the hell out of here"</p>
<p>She really liked the idea of assuming that you were weak simply from the way you dressed, it seemed. Because wearing a suit made her so much stronger than you.</p>
<p>"If it means that I can lose sight of you, please do. This place is a fucking nightmare because of you, so I'm sure you're glad to hear that"</p>
<p>Boots thudding against the floor, you had to angle your head up slightly as she approached you, slowly. You straightened your back ever so slightly, leaning forward so you could get a good look at her from below. Two could play at this game.</p>
<p>"I'd like to see you try and get rid of me, because I know damn well you don't want to"</p>
<p>Without even the slightest hesitation, your arm shot up from your lap, hand grabbing hold of the collar from the shirt she was wearing. It was a warning on your behalf, but unlike last time, you were the one in charge. Bringing her down so she was leaning over you, you brought your face up close to hers.</p>
<p>"Believe me, I'd do anything to never have to see you again"</p>
<p>"Of course you would, darling"</p>
<p>The familiar feeling of her lips fell onto your own, the move being caused by both your grasp on her clothing as well as her own initiative. Yelena steadied herself with her arm, now leaning on the sofa's armrest, whilst the other was quick to find itself back around your neck. The pull on her collar wasn't let up, and you had to control yourself in not bringing her completely down with you.</p>
<p>Her lips moved against your own, though this time it seemed she was more aggressive, eager to deepen the kiss as she tilted her head. You willingly allowed her to slip her tongue into your mouth, and you couldn't stop yourself from letting out a delighted hum as she did.</p>
<p>The hand on your lap was now grasping onto your skirt, anticipation filling your senses as you felt Yelena's hand swiftly make its way down to the top of your corset, not leaving your body for even the slightest moment.</p>
<p>You pulled away from her, noticing a string of saliva that was quickly broken as Yelena licked her lips. The hunger in her eyes was almost fearful, but you were no one to judge when you were the one to pull her down even further, causing her knee to fall beside your skirt.</p>
<p>It felt almost too good, too...right. The way her lips knew exactly how to move with your own, it was like she had known you forever, had kissed you countless times before. You felt needed, wanted by the person you were hoping to never have to see again after the two months of being in each other's presence. And you enjoyed it.</p>
<p>A bit too much, truthfully.</p>
<p>Breaking away once again, out of need of air, the two of you panted almost in unison. Your free hand came up to caress the side of her face, admiring her slightly tinted cheeks and red lips. It was an astonishing sight, one you had been deprived of because of some insignificant arguments.</p>
<p>"Nobody will be here until morning, are you sure you want to do this?"</p>
<p>"...I'll never be more sure"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Impatience is key</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>note: this chapter contains nsfw content</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Upon hearing your words of consent, Yelena's lips turned up into a satisfied smirk, not like any of the other shit-eating ones she had given you on other occasions. This time you were actually glad to see her look at you with that expression, dark eyes focused on you as she got up from her position, heading towards the door that wasn't far from where you were.</p>
<p>At first, you were rather confused at what she was doing. Surely she wasn't going to up and leave now that you admitted to wanting her, right? Then again, this was Yelena you were talking about.</p>
<p>Your thoughts were cut off as soon as you heard the lock on the door fall into place. She was preventing there to be another interruption, and as far as you knew, nobody would guess that you were in her room, so you wouldn't get called up by your comrades. You'd worry about giving them an explanation of your absence the following day.</p>
<p>Right now, your eyes were focused on the woman's figure, approaching you once more, having already dealt with the door. You didn't know if it was her own lust upon you or your excruciating need to touch her again, but you were practically buzzing in your seat. Strange as it might seem, you were excited.</p>
<p>Eyes settling into a half-lidded gaze, you watched as Yelena leaned back down towards you, wrapping your arms around her neck to ensure that you were brought back to her quickly. Her lips were intoxicating, and you couldn't get enough of them, moving in sync with her as your head remained tilted. You wondered how someone could have such an effect on you.</p>
<p>Yelena was getting rather bored with your lips, and she knew that they had received enough attention by the fact that they were now slightly swollen, glistening in the faint light of the lanterns. As she stared at your needy face, she spoke out to you, voice lowered a few octaves, causing you to pay all of your attention to her as if your life depended on it.</p>
<p>"I'm going to absolutely ruin you"</p>
<p>At this, you smiled at her, deciding that you were going to take a teasing approach to her words. You were almost weakened by her presence, caged in by her arms, but you weren't going to show it so easily.</p>
<p>"I'll believe you when you do"</p>
<p>A low chuckle escaping her lips, she didn't waste another second as she dipped her head towards your neck. Not bothering to start with light kisses against your skin, she gave your neck a drawn-out lick, followed by a rather harsh bite, causing you to let out a startled hiss. She wasn't going to play around this time, it seemed.</p>
<p>Her lips sucked at the now marked section of skin, enticing you into turning your head ever so slightly to allow her more access. Your hands had returned to pulling at her locks, whilst her own were starting to snake behind you. Of course, undressing you was not going to be an easy task.</p>
<p>For now, though, Yelena was more preoccupied in leaving pretty little marks all over your neck, enthralled in your scent as she worked on your skin, taking in every faint sound you made whenever she found a rather sensitive area. All you wanted to do was rip off her white shirt, but the hand that had gone down to her collar was not going to fulfil your wish on its own.</p>
<p>Satisfied with her work, Yelena came back up to take your lips, one of her hands sliding up to caress your bruised neck. Heavy breathing was something you were both also sharing, and it only quickened when she pulled away, her eyes panning down to look at your corset.</p>
<p>You didn't need words to understand what she was insinuating, so you pushed her slightly back by her chest, your hand retracting instantly as you brought both of them to your back. It was a chore to rid yourself of the corset, but you had more than enough practice to be able to untie the laces in a few seconds. Loosening the tight piece of clothing, you slipped it off, discarding it to the floor beside the sofa.</p>
<p>But, your rather restrictive skirt was still on, thus you lifted your point finger up to Yelena, who moved out of the way to allow you to slip off the heavy bottom half of your attire. This left you in your undershirt, or rather, your chemise, that extended down to your thighs, which were still wrapped with leather straps, on of which held your knife.</p>
<p>The blonde woman noticed your weapon, and quickly shot a glance back towards you, one of her eyebrows lifted in amusement as she slowly got back on top of you. Now turned so you were able to fully lay back on the sofa, you peered up at her looming face.</p>
<p>Whilst one of her hands was placed just beside your head, the other was roaming around your thighs, her slim fingers brushing against the skin of your legs. It sent shivers down your spine, and you were sure she could feel the small bumps on your skin as she skimmed over it. Her hand then landed on the knife pressed against your thigh, grabbing onto it.</p>
<p>"I don't think you'll be needing this tonight. Though, if you're into that, we can surely use it some other time"</p>
<p>As she threw away the sharp object, you let out a shaken breath, realising what she was implying. You weren't against it, but you still didn't fully trust her in not accidentally murdering you that night.</p>
<p>Forgetting the weapon, Yelena's hand came up to your chest, slowly untying the small, lace ribbon that was placed at the top of your chemise. It didn't exactly hold anything together, but it was a way to get you even more riled up without directly touching your skin, something she seemed to really be enjoying in that moment.</p>
<p>You were getting frustrated, so you were quick to bring your own hands up to her shirt, fumbling with the buttons.</p>
<p>"You want to see me that badly, sweetheart?"</p>
<p>Without waiting for an answer, Yelena sat back onto your legs, unbuttoning her clothing, your eyes watching intently as she slid the white material down her arms. She wasn't wearing any sort of undergarment beneath, so you were quite unable to take your gaze off of her breasts as they came into view.</p>
<p>Her body was slim, though you could tell she trained vigorously, her abdomen slightly defined, and her arms were anything but weak looking. You reached out a timid hand, resting it on her warm skin. She sat with a pleased look on her face, looking down at you as you explored her chest. Truly breathtaking, if you had to use a word to describe her.</p>
<p>"It's only fair that you also undress, don't you think?"</p>
<p>As a response, you hummed, bringing your hands back towards your own clothing, as much as you would have liked to keep your touch on her skin. Sliding down the soft fabric down your shoulders, you bunched up the clothing down at your waist. It was now Yelena's turn to linger her eyes on your chest.</p>
<p>The tension was overwhelming, almost suffocating. She leaned back down towards you, locking her lips with yours. This allowed her to sneak her hands around your breasts, cupping them with care as she slowly fondled them. Your nails were now able to reach the skin of her back, digging them in as you basked in the feeling of her tongue against yours.</p>
<p>She started kissing down your neck once more, this time passing by your collarbone, heading straight towards your sensitive breasts. As one hand played with one of your buds, her mouth latched onto the other, resulting in you letting out a far from appropriate mewl. Though you had slept with a fair share of men, none of their touches had managed to stir you as much as Yelena's were.</p>
<p>Mimicking her previous actions on your neck, she sucked on the undersides of your breasts, leaving faint red marks which were sure to bruise later on. All the while, you could feel her hand snake down towards your thighs once more; however, this time they seemed to linger between them.</p>
<p>You knew exactly what she was aiming for.</p>
<p>For that reason, you tugged at the hem of her suit trousers, wanting her to rid herself of her own clothing. You weren't about to be the one completely nude now.</p>
<p>"You really are one impatient woman, aren't you?"</p>
<p>"As I should be. You're the one with more clothing on here"</p>
<p>You hadn't noticed that your voice had also been a victim of Yelena's teasing until you struggled to talk back to her, almost as if you were out of breath. It took you by surprise, though you didn't let it distract you as she slipped off her trousers, watching her with intent from below. Though you weren't always the one underneath, you had to admit that you were more than enjoying the experience.</p>
<p>Yelena's hand returned back to your lower abdomen, focusing on your face as she laid her hand over your vagina, giving it an experimental amount of pressure. Your chest lifted as you sucked in a breath of air, looking down at where she was now giving her full attention.</p>
<p>"Already that sensitive? You must be pretty horny, huh?"</p>
<p>Keeping her hand against you, she made her way down your body, eyes never leaving your needy face. She finished pulling off your chemise with ease, and tossed it to the floor, alongside all the other discarded clothing.</p>
<p>It was quite the show for her, and she was more than willing to make it last. On your behalf, you weren't very amused at the fact that you were practically melting in her hands, and you let out a faint protest.</p>
<p>"Fuck off"</p>
<p>Your breath was once more kicked out of your lungs again as Yelena harshly grabbed your thigh just a little too close to your almost pleading cunt. The fingers that were still on your undergarment started to add a little more pressure, and she was now looking to tease where she knew you'd give her an impressive reaction.</p>
<p>As her fingers landed on your clit, you had to quiet down your voice with your hand as you tried your best not to give her the satisfaction of making you moan. Not yet, at least. Yelena, from her position below, smirked at your behaviour and quickly switched her focus to rubbing you through the thin fabric.</p>
<p>However, she wasn't completely satisfied with the cover that prevented her from seeing you completely uncovered. Now, instead of just sliding down your panties like the regular person would do, Yelena decided it would be much more adequate to simply rip them apart, seeing as the section above your thighs was much thinner than the rest of the piece.</p>
<p>You didn't have time to protest, quickly having to bite your hand to lower the moan that was threatening to spill from your lips. Yelena hadn't wasted a single second before giving your cunt a long swipe of her tongue, eager to see how you'd react. Needless to say, she was more than satisfied with your sounds.</p>
<p>Whilst you writhed on the sofa, her tongue lapped at your most sensitive bud, her fingers holding your thighs apart to prevent you from closing them. She could feel how they were shaking in her palms, and it only impulsed her actions as she devoured you like it was her last meal.</p>
<p>It was pure bliss, but at the same time, torturous. She was more than just good at what she was doing, and it wasn't long before you started to feel a familiar knot in your lower abdomen, causing you to bring your hands down towards Yelena's hair, pushing her further into you as you let your moans out shamelessly.</p>
<p>Just as your toes were starting to curl, she pulled away from you, lips glistening as she spoke.</p>
<p>"Who would have thought you tasted as good as you smell"</p>
<p>Feeling your face heat up to an unthinkable temperature, you gave out an unimpressed whine, embarrassed by her words. Although, you had to admit, they were turning you on, as much as you thought you couldn't get any needier.</p>
<p>"Shut up"</p>
<p>Before returning between your thighs, she gave you a light chuckle, being pushed back down by your hands on her head. It didn't take much longer before your back started to arch, and you pleaded out her name as you could feel yourself reaching your orgasm. In your life had you reached one so rapidly, and you simply considered it to be because you had never actually been with a woman before.</p>
<p>And she wasn't even using her fingers on you yet. All her attention was set on your clit, switching between sucking and caressing it with her tongue. It was driving you insane, and you were rather irked at the knowledge that she was this good.</p>
<p>For that reason, your orgasm creeped up on you almost unexpectedly, thighs threatening to close around Yelena's face.</p>
<p>You felt something snap inside you, and you had to shut your tear-ridden eyes as you let out a high pitched moan, followed by a chant of Yelena's name as your body twitched against her, still unable to move as she held on to your legs.</p>
<p>Despite having reached your high, Yelena didn't leave your clit, watching you as your twitches started to become more frequent, your face adorned with tears as new ones welled up at the corners of your eyes.</p>
<p>"Yelena, I...I already came you can st-"</p>
<p>A whine came out of your lips, and the feeling was now overwhelming. Chest rising as you breathed in heavily, your hands switched to try and push her away from you. You were almost seeing stars at this point, and you didn't know what would happen if you were truly pushed over your limit.</p>
<p>Yelena seemed adamant in finding out, her tongue continuing with her ministrations against your swollen bud. It was all too much.</p>
<p>Squirming against the sofa's slightly rough material, you had to control yourself to not beg for her to stop.<br/>The pleasure was very much still there, and you let out a hiss as you lifted your upper body slightly up, applying a little more pressure against her head.</p>
<p>"Ah, <em>shit</em>...Fuck, Yelena!"</p>
<p>Your second orgasm hit you like a train, a wave of pleasure rushing through your body as you threw your head back, a whine following your words. It felt like you almost couldn't breathe, and you swore your vision had gone white for a few seconds.</p>
<p>The sensation was something you had never experienced before, but you were anything but disappointed about it.</p>
<p>Knowing you had reached your second high, Yelena pulled away, slowly rubbing your cunt as you came down from your orgasm. Your body was shaking, unable to stop yourself, and it took you a few seconds before opening your eyes to look at her.</p>
<p>"You alright there?"</p>
<p>Though you knew her words weren't fully considerate of your well-being, you appreciated them with a nod of your head, still calming down from the intense feeling you had just been put under.</p>
<p>Yelena sat up from her position between your legs, admiring your state as she still remained in her own underwear. You were far from finished, and the night was still early. She had more than enough time to do everything she wanted to do with you. But, she was going to let you rest for a few seconds.</p>
<p>She was going to ruin you, but not completely break you. At least not yet.</p>
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